THE 
 
 9gM@£€Hg 
 
 Claims of the Clergy 
 
 T O A 
 
 Divine Right of Maintenance, 
 
 And of Difpollng of 
 
 Church-Livings, &V. 
 
 [ Price Sixpence.] 
 
 A 
 
THE 
 
 CLAIMS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 CLERGY 
 
 T O A 
 
 Divine Right of M aintenan ce, 
 
 And of Difpofing of 
 
 Church-Livings, 
 
 Exemplified in the Pretenfioiis and 
 Conduct of the prefent SCOTCH 
 CLERGY; and in the Behaviour of 
 their Creatures, the Multitude. 
 
 In a Letter from a Scotch Presbyterian , 
 now fettled in a Diflenting Congrega¬ 
 tion in England , to a Minii ter of the ___ 
 National Church of Scotland. With 
 the Scotch Minifter’s Anfwer. 
 
 Occafioned by the Ty the-Bill now depen¬ 
 ding in Parliament. 
 
 LONDON ■ 
 
 Printed for T. Cooper, at the Globs 
 in Pater-nojler Row. 1736. 
 
THE 
 
 Claims of the Clergy 
 
 T 0 A 
 
 Divine Right of Maintenance, &C, 
 
 Reverend and Dear Sir , 
 
 Send you a Paper on the Sub- 
 je& of Tythes *, very much 
 efteemed here, for the Ufe of 
 Majority of the General 
 Affembiy, who, as I am told, aflert a 
 Divine Right to Tythes, at leaft to Sti¬ 
 pends payable out of Tythes $ and for the 
 Information of our good Chriftian Com¬ 
 monalty, who having no Property of their 
 own, do neverthelefs claim a Right in 
 themfelves to the Properties of others, in 
 
 * An Anfwer to the Country tar fan’s flea a - 
 
 r nfi the Quakers Tytbe Bill. In a Letter to the 
 R. Author, £?c. 
 
 fo 
 
fo far as they are applied to the Payment 
 of their Minifters Stipends, originally gi¬ 
 ven, and ftill payed by others. 
 
 They are in the Right, and fpeak with 
 great Truth and Juftice, when they lay, 
 that the fierce, uncharitable, and moll: un- 
 chriftian Contention, which is made in 
 the calling and fettling of Minifters, is 
 not for the Flock, but the Fleece • for 1 
 never heard that any one ever hindred, 
 or in the leaft ever thought it wrong in 
 them, to call a Minifter of their own, if 
 they difliked the Minifter already called* 
 and paid (by others for his minifterial 
 Work and Labour amongft them.) - 
 
 This Paper is much to the Purpofe, with 
 Regard to .our unhappy Difputes, fruit¬ 
 ful of rrtany and great Mifchiefs, to Chri- 
 ftiatiity as Bellas to civifSociety • Dif¬ 
 putes -Which took their Rife from our be¬ 
 ing' oVerftO'cR’d with Clergymen, and 
 Which'are ftilF growing in Proportion, as 
 the Numbers of Iicenled Preachers exceed 
 the Number of Vacant Benefices, fo far, 
 that'we have'noW commonly half a Score 
 or more -Candidates for every Vacancy. 
 
 •• If it is thought proper t6 reprint this, 
 it is more to the Purpofe, than all the 
 Argumefits' ( \|faWn i frofn the qonftrained 
 Senfes'pat upon fo me'Texts of New- 
 Teftament 
 
( 7 ) 
 
 Teftament Scripture, by interefted Cler¬ 
 gymen, to veft in themfelves a divine 
 Right to Tythes or Stipends, founded on 
 the Doctrine and Pra&ice of thofe, who, 
 if we may credit their own Teftimonies, 
 miniftred to their own Neceffities by the 
 • Labour of their own Hands, or depended 
 upon the charitable Contributions of well- 
 difpofed Chriftians, without making the 
 leaft Claim, as of Right, to the lmalleft 
 Proportion of the Properties of others. 
 
 A divine Right to Tythes can have no 
 Foundation but in the Levitical and Ce- 
 remonial Law of the Jews, which is by 
 Chriftianity fulfilled and abolilhed- or in 
 the Appointments of the Pagan Priefts 
 made by thofe blind Votaries of the vain 
 Idols, who had no other Being than in the 
 foolifh and wicked Imaginations of fuch 
 who worlhipped them : But as Life and 
 Immortality was brought to Light by the 
 Gofpel,tho fe Clouds of Error, Ignorance, 
 and Superftition, and all the worldly Pro¬ 
 fits and temporal Power that follow¬ 
 ed them, are difpelled by the Light of 
 the Gofpel. 
 
 The Chriftian Church, which compre¬ 
 hends the whole Defcendants of Adam 
 that believe, is a Thing very different 
 from a National Church eftablifhed by 
 the 
 
(8 ) 
 
 the Laws of any Chriftian Country. The 
 Clergy, as Chriftian Minifters, have no 
 Claim whatfoever to the leaft Share or 
 Proportion of the Property of any one, 
 further than he may be pleafed volunta¬ 
 rily and freely of his own Accord, to 
 give it. But the Clergy of an eftablifh- 
 ed national Church, have by the Laws 
 of the Land, a Right to the Properties of 
 the Laity, fo far as the Legiflature has 
 given them a Title to Jr. 
 
 Every national Church is a Creature 
 of the State, and depends upon the State 
 for its Rights, to the Freedoms, Immuni¬ 
 ties, Monopolies, and exclufive Privileges 
 it enjoys ; as well as to the Tythes, Sti¬ 
 pends, Glebs, Manfion-Houfes, and other 
 Ecclefiaftical Fees and Emoluments, paid 
 by the Laity, for the Maintenance and 
 Support of its Minifters, and other Eccle- 
 iiaftical Affairs. 
 
 No Chriftian Minifter can be lawfully 
 hindered to preach the Golpel of Chrift; 
 but no Minifter, although a Perfon of the 
 molt exemplary Life and Piety, found 
 and orthodox in the Chriftian Faith, be 
 •he ever lb well qualified for the Office of 
 the Miniftry, can enjoy, or acquire a 
 Title to enjoy, any temporal Benefit or 
 Advantage, belonging to any national 
 Church, 
 
f 9 ) 
 
 Church, utilefs he fubfcribe and affent to? 
 all the Articles and Conditions of Commu¬ 
 nion with that Church, and alfo fubmit to 
 all the Rites,Ceremonies, particular Modes, 
 and Manner of Worfhip and Devotion, 
 peculiar to, and pradtifed. by that Church : 
 Nor can any Perfon prefent a Minifter fo 
 qualified to the Pofleffion of any Ecclefi- 
 aftical Benefice in that Church, or vote for 
 luch a Minifter but thofe only in whom 
 fuch Right of Prefentation or of Voting, 
 is veiled by the Laws of the Land. 
 
 Every Perfon who differs with the na¬ 
 tional Church in any of thefe Points, is 
 a Diffenter from that Church; but Liber¬ 
 ty of Confidence is in this, and in every 
 free State allowed ; and the fame Law, 
 the lame civil Power, that eftablilhes the 
 national Church, tolerates .Di(Tenters, and 
 protedts them in the free Exercife and 
 Enjoyment of their own religious Opini¬ 
 ons ; and ties up the Hands of the efta- 
 blifhed Clergy from perfecuting or hurt¬ 
 ing thefe their Fellow Chriftians, who 
 differ from them in Opinion about reli¬ 
 gious Matters, Modes, or Manner of De¬ 
 votion, and Forms in Worfhip. The Cafe, 
 with Regard to Individuals, is the fame 
 as with whole Societies, or Seels of Chri¬ 
 ftians : He who diililces any Minifter on 
 B Ac- 
 
( 10 ) 
 
 Account of his Morals, or from a Dif- 
 blteem of his Parts and perfonal Abilities, 
 and minifterial Gifts, &c. although per¬ 
 haps founded upon Prejudice, is a Dilfen- 
 ter from that Minifter, and cannot be 
 forced to fubmit to his Miniltry ; but is 
 at Freedom to chufe whom he pleafcs for 
 his own Minifter. 
 
 Where then is the leaft Ground of Dif- 
 pute (about fettling the vacant Parifhes 
 of a national Church) confiftent with 
 common Senfe, and common Honefty ? 
 The Legiflature may eftablilh a nation¬ 
 al Church, conftituted in fuch Manner as 
 it thinks proper, and propofe. it to the 
 People ; But the Legillature itfelf can¬ 
 not, confiftently with the Liberties of a 
 free People, impole it upon the People. 
 
 . Every one then has an unqueftionable 
 Title to chufe his own Minifter, not only 
 as a Chriftian, but as a free-born Subjed 
 of this Realm: But no Man, or any Sett 
 of Men have, or can have a Right to dil- 
 pofe of any Temporality belonging to the 
 national Church, but thofe in whom the 
 Legiflature has thought fit to veil that 
 
 Right. 
 
 If any one or more of the People of 
 any Parilh are fo muchdifpleafed with the 
 Minifter who obtains a legal Settlement a- 
 * ' ' mongft 
 
mongft them, as to refufe to fubmit to 
 his Miniftry, fuch are DifTenters from that 
 Minifter, and may, if they pleafe, make 
 uleof the Right allowed by Law in fa¬ 
 vour of DifTenters, to chufe another Mi¬ 
 nifter for themfelves. 
 
 The Law tolerates DifTenters ; but no 
 DifTenter, at leaft no Proteftant DifTenter 
 ever claimed a Right to the Temporali¬ 
 ties belonging to the Clergy of either of 
 the two national Churches that are in this 
 Ifland of Great Britain , feverally by Law 
 eftablifhed. 
 
 The Church of Rome indeed have made 
 a profitable Exchange of Chriftianity, for 
 the temporal Wealth and Power of the 
 Jewilh and Pagan Priefthood • and in con- 
 fequence of the exceflive Wealth, and 
 enormous Power of its Clergy, has as 
 effedually ruined Chriftianity, as it has 
 fubverted and deftroyed the civil Rights 
 and Liberties of Mankind. But can a 
 Proteftant Clergyman, profeffing himfelf 
 to be a Minifter of Jelus Chrift, who de¬ 
 clared that his Kingdom was not of this 
 World, and that his Service was incon- 
 fiftent with the Service of Mammon, 
 claim a divine Right to Mammon, be- 
 caule he is the Servant of Chrift ? And 
 is it not fhocking to common Senfe, to 
 B 2 pretend 
 
pretend to found this Right upon the ho¬ 
 ly Scriptures (which the Church of Rome, 
 fenfible of fo grofs ari Abfurdity, have 
 Wifely locked up from the Laity) while, 
 they profels to allow all Mankind to read, 
 perufe, examine, and to fearch them di¬ 
 ligently ; to prove all Things, and to 
 hold fall: that which is belt ? 
 
 Chrift alone is the foie and only Head 
 of the Chriftian Church univerfal • but 
 the fiipreme civil Magiftrate is, in every 
 Country not ehflaved to the See of 
 Rome, Head of t'hC national Church ; no 
 chriftian Minifter, as fuch, has the leaf! 
 Shadow of a Claim, as of Right, to the 
 RhaMeft Proportion of the Property of 
 hian ; but every Minifter of a na- 
 tionirthu'rch has by Law a juft Title and 
 Rlght .to all the’ ecclefiaftical Temporali¬ 
 ties'and'Profits which the Law allows 
 Bun. . '.,D’6 riot'the People of Scotland of 
 fheCommuhionofthe Church of England, 
 ^ho'fe'ofthe Epifcopal Perfwafion, the 
 independents,, Quakers, and thofe Prel- 
 byterians who (on Account of fome Scru¬ 
 ples,with Regard to the Government and 
 Difcipline of the national Church, as at 
 £refent by Law eftablilhed) differ from 
 jt, all of them leverally fupport and 
 maintain their own Minifters, Preachers 
 and 
 
( 1 3 ) 
 
 and Speakers, as Diflbnters from the na¬ 
 tional Church? I have heard indeed of 
 three or four Presbyterian Mini Iters, who 
 publickly and openly diflent from the 
 national Church as impure, until fhe is 
 reformed from certain Errors and Herefies 
 which they are pleafed to charge upon her, 
 who do neverthelels keep violent Poflefi- 
 lion of the Temporalities of the national 
 Church: Whether they found this Poi- 
 feffion upon the Principles of the Church 
 of. Rome, or of the reformed Proteftant 
 Churches, muft be left to themfelves to 
 determine, fince thofe few infallible Guides 
 are too wife to fubmit to any other De¬ 
 termination. 
 
 , The Right of Prefentation as the Law 
 now Hands, is veiled in the Patron, and 
 the Right of Collation in the Church-Ju¬ 
 dicatories : And if the Patrons do not life 
 their Plight within fix Months after the 
 Vacancy happens, then the Right of Pre¬ 
 fentation, as well as of Collation, devolves 
 upon the Presbytery : Rut both the one 
 and the other are by Law tied up to 
 the Obfervation of one Rule in the Ex- 
 ercife of this Right: That neither of 
 them- can prefent or presby terially call any 
 Perfon to be Minifter of a vacant Congre¬ 
 gation, who is not either a Minifter law¬ 
 fully 
 
( 14 ) 
 
 fully ordained by, and according to the 
 Rules of the national Church of Scotland ., 
 as by Law eftablifhed, or by the fame Au¬ 
 thority, and in the lame Manner, licenfed 
 to preach the Gofpel, and declared by a 
 Presbytery properly conftituted,to be well 
 qualified and delerving to be a Minifter of 
 any Presbyterian Congregation. 
 
 This is a needfary, and it is a fuffici- 
 ent and abfolute Security to the national 
 Church, for all its Rights and Privi¬ 
 leges- and no profeft Presbyterian can 
 have any Ground to diflerrt from a Pres¬ 
 byterian Minifter, thus prefented or pref- 
 byterially called and fettled on Account of 
 Principle. 
 
 When a Parifh becomes vacant, every 
 Candidate who has the fmalleft Hopes of 
 Succels, firft makes Application t,by his 
 Friends) to the Patron and confidera- 
 ble Heritors, who for the moft part agree 
 on the fame Perfon to be prefented f. 
 And if the Friend or Favourite of the 
 leading Minifters, and governing Par¬ 
 ty of the Presbytery, has the good For* 
 tune to fucceed with the Patron, as 
 
 f NB. About one half of all the Afao-rofons or 
 Patronages in Scotland belong to the Crown, and 
 the King rarely prefents but upoft Application from 
 the rnojl confiderable Heritors of the Parifh. 
 
 thofe 
 
( >5 ) 
 
 thofe Minifters have frequently one or 
 other cf them, a Son, a Nephew, or fome 
 near Relation, who is bred a Clergyman 
 and a licenfed Preacher, to be provided 
 for; then all goes well, the Peace and 
 Quiet of the Parilh is not in the leaft di- 
 fturbed ■ the Patron grants a Prefentati- 
 on, the Candidate (as the Law directs) 
 accepts of it, the Presbytery concurs with 
 it, and the Settlement is made in the molt 
 peaceable and Chriftian Mannner, with¬ 
 out Lofs of Time, or Expence to any Par¬ 
 ty concerned. But, 
 
 If the Candidate defigned by the Ma¬ 
 jority of Presbytery be dilappointed, and 
 another licenled Preacher, who is perhaps 
 a Son or a near Relation of fome confide- 
 rable Heritor of the Parilh be preferred 
 by the Patron, then all manner of Art 
 and Induftry, and moft undue Influence 
 is uled to fpirit up the Parilh againft the 
 Perfon prefen ted. The People, who on 
 the other Event, were taught Refignati- 
 on, chriftian Humility and Submiflion, 
 are how told, they themfelves have a 
 Right to chufe their own Parilh Mini- 
 fter; that it was the moft valuable Legacy 
 Chrift had left them, and was therefore 
 a divine Right; that Patronages were an- 
 cichriftian Tyranny, fecular Bondage, and 
 Eraftian 
 
Ci6; 
 
 Eraftian'He'refy. Thui Parifhes, when 
 Clergymen are difappointed in their 
 Wordly Views,‘become divided, inflamed, 
 jmt together by the Ears ;• the one half 
 again#'tHe 'other • tfnd : 'th£ Contention 
 fbmentedjlnd- carrried on wit-h the utmoft 
 Keehe-fic Hbat and Anhnofityi, difguifM 
 under -the ijfccious Name of Zeal for Re¬ 
 ligion." ‘ ' 
 
 ■ "The Presybtery are Judges of the Set¬ 
 tlement -in the firfflnftance, and after an 
 expenfive Attendance with Lawyers, and 
 a fierce Contention of -theP-arties concern¬ 
 ed^ managed with great Heat and Ran¬ 
 cour, oh both'Sides, at fcyeral Dyets of 
 Presbytery ,'whomeet but once a Month, 
 the Cable is at la# by them determined, 
 Recording to- the Good-Will and Pleafure 
 df the Majority, mid carried by the Par¬ 
 ty aggrieved,-/by Appeal to the next Sy¬ 
 nod, which- perhaps does not fet looner 
 than fix Months after. 
 
 - • Whether the Sentence of the Presby¬ 
 tery is affirmdd or reveFfed by-the Synod,' 
 the Caiife rarely fails of being carried from 1 
 them, either by Appeal or Reference 
 to the next general Aflembly, which per¬ 
 haps does not-'meet fooner than fix or -ele-' 
 Tehi Months after the Synod. 
 
 General 
 
( 17 ) 
 
 General AfTemblies, during their fhort 
 Sittings, determine few of thole Caufes, 
 but refer them to their Commiffion, which 
 meets but four Times in the Year, and 
 fits but three Days at a Time ; lb that 
 after an expenfive Attendance of the Par¬ 
 ties and their Lawyers upon Church-Ju¬ 
 dicatories, fitting in feveral Parts of the 
 Kingdom, often very diftant from one 
 another, after a Parifn is kept vacant for 
 Years together • and the People of the 
 Parifh, during all that Time, involved 
 in a noft unchriftian Strife and Debate, 
 fo much imbittered and enraged againft 
 one another, that they rarely fpeak to 
 one another but in Wrath- the Caufe is 
 at laft determined, but the Peace of the 
 Parifh is not thereby reftored. For, 
 
 If the Presbytery,within whole Bounds 
 the Parifh (thus at laft fettled) lies, hap¬ 
 pens to be over-ruled, then the Minifter 
 fo direded to be placed by that Presby¬ 
 tery, is from the Pulpits of thofe Clergy¬ 
 men who caufed and conduded the Op- 
 pofition, called an Intruder, a Theif and 
 a Robber, who came not in by the Door, 
 but through the Antichriftian Window of 
 Patronages, fecular Power, and Eraftian 
 Hereby: That it is finful in the People 
 to fubmit to fuch a Minifter; that they 
 Ought to affert and maintain their juft 
 C Rights 
 
( is ) 
 
 Rights; that their Fathers had refifted un¬ 
 to Blood; and they are in the moft pa- 
 thetick Manner exhorted not to deiert 
 the Caufe of C.hrift by a finful Submifli- 
 on. All this is publickly preached from 
 the Pulpit as the Word of God, and re¬ 
 commended to the Multitude as Zeal for 
 Religion and for the Truth, in open De¬ 
 fiance of the Laws of the Land, and a 
 Reproach to the chriftian Religion. 
 
 Thus is the bleffed Gofpcl of Peace 
 traduced by its Preachers, and by them 
 made a Bone of Contention and Strife; a 
 Motive for inteftine War, and publick 
 Diforder and Confufion. 
 
 When fuch a Sentence of the higheft 
 Church Judicatory is intimated in Form 
 to the Presbytery; they call it an unjuft 
 Sentence, and a violent Invafion of the 
 Rights of the People for whom Chrift 
 died ; that they will not involve them- 
 lelves in the Guilt, by a finful Submilli¬ 
 on, and flatly refule to put it in Execu¬ 
 tion, and lb the Parilh muft ftill conti¬ 
 nue vacant, until Application is made to 
 another General Affembly or Commiffi- 
 on, to put their own Sentence in Execu¬ 
 tion ; who, out of Tendernels to their 
 dilbbedient Brethren of that Presbytery, 
 commonly appoint the Settlement to be 
 ' , made 
 
( 19 ) 
 
 made by Minifters from other Presby¬ 
 teries : And this is likewife complained of 
 and called an Infringment of the radical 
 Power of Presbyteries. 
 
 The poor unhappy People who are 
 milled by thefe wild and unchriftian Do¬ 
 ctrines, and by the rebellious and perni¬ 
 cious Example of the Majority of a Pres¬ 
 bytery ; aflemble from all Corners of the 
 Country, at the Place and Time appoint¬ 
 ed for the Settlement, to obftruct it, by 
 open Force and Violence • and fuch Set¬ 
 tlements are at laft (but too often) made 
 at the Expence of a Breach of the pub- 
 lick Peace and Bloodfhed. And thole of 
 the Parifh, who are ingaged in the Op- 
 pofition, delert their own Minifter, neg- 
 le<ft their Labour, and the Care of their 
 Families, and wander about from Place 
 to Place to hear thole demagogue Preach¬ 
 ers, who promote Strife, low Sedition, 
 and found the Trumpet of Rebellion a- 
 gainft the Civil Power; becaule they are 
 not allowed to dilpofe of the Tempora¬ 
 lities of the Eftablilhed Church, and to 
 fettle every vacant Parifh with a Friend 
 or Creature of their own. So ill do Cler¬ 
 gymen brook Difappointments, and fo 
 far do they carry their Refentments be¬ 
 yond the reft of Mankind. 
 
 C a 
 
 Thefe 
 
Thefe Confufions and Difordcrs are by 
 the High Clergymen charged upon the 
 Law, commonly called the Patronage 
 Aft, altho’ they evidently flow from a- 
 nother Source, which I mentioned at firft, 
 viz. from our being greatly overftock’d 
 wirh Licenled Preachers • for fo long as 
 we had vacant Parilhes lufficient to pro r 
 vide the Clergy as they came out to the 
 Miniltry, we had no Difputes of any 
 Kind about the Right of Voting, or 
 manner of fettling vacant Congregations: 
 But when Competitions betwixt two or. 
 more Candidates for one Vacancy became 
 frequent thefe ftirred up that Spirit of 
 Pride and Worldly-mindednefs, which had 
 before been vented on Objefts lefs hurt¬ 
 ful to Society, or had lain dormant for 
 want of Fewel. And the Queftion now 
 is, whether if the Legiflature Ihould think 
 fit to repeal this Lawg any other Law 
 could polfibly be contrived, to allay or 
 divert that Spirit of Strife and Conten¬ 
 tion. A Law that would prevent thole 
 unreafonable and groundlel's Complaints 
 of thefe Clergymen, who feem to de¬ 
 light fo much in Strife; that the Peace 
 of Society mu ft be difturbed by them, as 
 often as their worldly or ambitious Pro- 
 jefts 
 
je&s are defeated or thwarted. — For 
 Example, 
 
 Should the Legiflature place this Right 
 and Power of dilpofing of the Tempo¬ 
 ralities belonging to the feveral Parifhes 
 of the Church of Scotland , as at prelent 
 by Law eftablifh’d, in Heritors of each 
 Parifh; would not the Patron, if he was 
 not an Heritor, and every other Perfon 
 of the Parilh (except the Heritors) have 
 the fame Ground of Complaint they now 
 have ? Or, 
 
 If this Right was veiled, where it was 
 ir thofe Times, which are called the pu- 
 reft Times of Presbytery, in the Elders 
 only ; would not every one of the Pa- 
 rifh, except thofe few Elders, who are 
 commonly the Creatures and Tools of the 
 Clergy, have the fame Caufe of Com¬ 
 plaint? Or, 
 
 If this Right was placed, as it was by 
 the Aft of Parliament 16po, in the Heri¬ 
 tors and Elders jointly; would not all 
 the reft of the Parifh, except thele Heri¬ 
 tors and Elders, have the fame Real'on to 
 complain ? Or, 
 
 If this Right was lodged, where the 
 Clergy occaftonally, when it fuits their 
 Purpole, pretend it ought to be, in the 
 Multitude, in every Perfon within the Pa¬ 
 rilh 
 
( 2J ) 
 
 rifh, either exclnfive or inclufive of the 
 Heritors and Elders, would this cure the 
 Evil ? Would not the Clergy, if they 
 happened to differ (as they often do) a- 
 bout the Perfon they recommended to the 
 Parilh, feverally do their beft to ferve their 
 Friend ? And would not the lame Means 
 and Artifices as now, be ufed to divide and 
 inflame the Parilh ? And if a Minifter 
 happened to be called by a Majority of 
 one, of fuch a Poll, would not the Caufe 
 run the fame Round, through all the 
 Church-Judicatories, and be at laft de¬ 
 termined according to the good Will and 
 Pleafure of the Church-Judicatory, who 
 on fuch Event, would have the Right 
 really in themfelves, as the laft Refort ? 
 And when fuch a Settlement was at laft 
 made, would not one half of the Parilh 
 hive the lame Reafon as nQW to dilfent 
 from the Minifter fo fettled ? But the 
 Truth is, the People are not fo unrcalbn- 
 able, if the Clergy would be fo good as 
 to withdraw their Influence, and leave 
 them to themfelves; they would then 
 chearfully fubmit to the Miniftry of any 
 Map of a good Life, that was properly oi> 
 dained, and lawfully fettled amongft them. 
 We Ihould hear of no Strife, no Dil'or- 
 dprs, or any unchriftian Practice amongft 
 
the People, if they were let alone, aftd 
 left at Freedom to' judge for themfelves. 
 Let it then be confidered, 
 
 If this Right was veiled, where the 
 Clergy, by every Step of their Conduct, 
 plainly intend it Ihould be placed, and 
 where, in Spite of the Law, in many Ca¬ 
 fes it now is in Effect placed, I mean in 
 the Presbytery within whofe Bounds the 
 Vacancy happens; would not the whole 
 Parifh have juft caufe to complain ? Could 
 any Parifh expeft in that Event to be in 
 the leaf! confidered in the Choice or Call 
 of their own Minilter, fo long as any 
 Member of the Presbytery had a Son, or 
 any Relation that was a licenfed Preacher 
 to be provided for ? Are there not In- 
 llances where a Presbytery, when the 
 Power or Right of Prefentation has fallen 
 in their owm Hands ; have thruft a Mini- 
 fter upon a Parifh, again!! the Confent 
 of the Patron, of the Heritors, of the El¬ 
 ders, and againl! the Confent of every 
 Individual within the Parilh ? And is it 
 to be imagined that they would act from 
 any other Motive, than that of their own 
 Intereft ? 
 
 If every Presbytery in Scotland , as a 
 Corporation, had the fame Power to dif- 
 pole of the Temporalities of the Church, 
 
f 24 ) 
 
 as the Individual Minifters, when legally- 
 placed in a Parilh, have feverally to enjoy 
 them ; would not the Clergy be entirely 
 independent on the Laity ? And would 
 not Popery be thereby in part again efta- 
 blifh-d in this Nation ? And yet it mult 
 be acknowledged, that fuch a Meafure 
 would effectually cure and prevent our 
 , prefent molt unhappy Divilions and De¬ 
 putes, and the Diforders that attend them • 
 for then the Controverfy would be only 
 between Clergymen and Clergymen , and 
 be determined by the Majority of every 
 Presbytery.* As in Romm Catholkl Coun¬ 
 tries, where the Laity are abfolutely en- 
 flaved to the Clergy, there are no Dis¬ 
 putes of this Kind. The Queftion then 
 
 is. 
 
 How thefe Difputes, which divide and 
 inflame the common People, and turn their 
 Heads from minding the ordinary and ne~ 
 ceffary Affairs of their Family, to De¬ 
 bates upon the Import and Meaning of 
 certain Greek Phrafes, relating to the 
 Manner of calling of Minifters by the 
 Apoftles; a vain Knowledge about doubt¬ 
 ful Qqeftions; which they are neverthe- 
 Iefs fo fond of, that they prefer it to Mo¬ 
 rality 1 .arid: pradical Religion, although 
 like Papffts, they implicitly fubmit to 
 that 
 
( 2 5 ) 
 
 that Senfe which their Favourite Clergy 
 are pleafed to put upon the Text ; De¬ 
 putes which difturb the publick Peace, 
 and have been the Caufe of many popular 
 Tumults, Riots,and Diforders the Quel- 
 tion, I lay, is, How this Evil, this grow¬ 
 ing Evil, which calls lb loudly for a Re¬ 
 medy, is to be cured and prevented ? It 
 might, no doubt, be cured in part, 
 
 If the Legillatuve Ihould think fit to 
 prefcribe fuch Rules of Direction for the 
 Church-Judicatories to determine Ques¬ 
 tions upon this Subjeft, as could hot be 
 difpenfed with, or eluded by the Clergy. 
 
 But if it is to be totally cured, there is 
 no Medium. The Power and Right of 
 difpofing of the Temporalities of the 
 Church, and of determining all Queftions 
 and Debates that may arii'e upon fuch 
 Difpofition, mull either be abfolutcly 
 vefted in the Clergy, as it was before the 
 Reformation • whereby we Ihould have a 
 Kind of Popery effablilhed again amongft 
 ourlelves, by a papal Power in every Pres¬ 
 bytery : Or it mull be placed where it 
 was before the Times of Popery, in thole 
 Hands whence it originally flowed, and 
 where it mull Hill have continued, if our 
 Fore-fathers had not, in the dark Times 
 of popilh Bigottry and Superftition, given 
 D it 
 
t *6 ) 
 
 it up to the Clergy, out of whofe Hands 
 we have not hitherto been able totally 
 to recover it • I mean the civil Magi- 
 ftrate and Courts of Law* 
 
 If the Clergy were left at Liberty to 
 purfue the fpiritual Concerns of their ho¬ 
 ly Fundion only, to employ themfelves 
 in that, and in that alone j and fhould be, 
 by the Laws of the Land, (fince Chrifti- 
 anity proves too feeble a Tie to bind 
 them) reftrained from meddling with lecu- 
 lar Affairs, and the temporal Things of this 
 Life, efpecially fince the Laity have made 
 fo plentiful a Provifion of the Things of 
 •this World for their comfortable Main¬ 
 tenance and Support; we fhould have as 
 few Difputes about the planting and fet¬ 
 tling of vacant Parifhes in Scotland , as 
 there are in England ; where the Eccle- 
 fiafticks being under the Controul of the 
 civil Magiftrate, the Right to prelent, 
 .and Manner of induding or fettling a Mi- 
 nifter in a vacant Parifh, is fo well under- 
 ltood, that there rarely happens any Dil- 
 :pute, or fo much as a Queftion about it. 
 
 The Right and Power of trying, li- 
 ..cenfing, and ordaining, ought to be in 
 the Church-Judicatories ; and that is an 
 :abl'olute Security to the national Church 
 by.Law eftablilh’d, of all its Rights and 
 : ' Pri- 
 
( 27 ) 
 
 Privileges ; for no Man can thereby be 
 admitted to poffefs any Living belonging 
 to the National Church, who is not fuf- 
 ficiently qualified for the Office of the 
 Miniftry; and of the Principles of the 
 eftablifh’d Church. But, 
 
 The Power of giving, and of determi¬ 
 ning any Queftions that may arife upon 
 the Right to poffefs the Stipend, * Manfe, 
 Glebe, and other ecclefiaftical Profits of 
 any Parifh, ought to remain in thofe 
 Hands where the Legiflature has now 
 placed it, or in whofe Hands foever the 
 Legiflature fhould at any Time think fit 
 to place it ; and be determined by the 
 Courts of Law; becaufe thefe muft go¬ 
 vern themfelves by Law, and not in the 
 arbitrary Manner pra&ifed by Church- 
 Judicatories, but muft determine accor¬ 
 ding to Law; and their Judgment is lia¬ 
 ble to be reviewed by the fupreme Court, 
 the laft Refort of this Realm, the Houfe 
 of Peers of Great Britain. 
 
 I am, 
 
 Reverend and Dear Sir, 
 
 Tour's, Sec: 
 
 London, April 22, 1736. 
 
 * The Manfe Signifies the Minifier's Houfe, which 
 is Supported end kept in Repair by a ‘Parifl? Rate. 
 
'( *? ) 
 
 (5^ $£s SrtS &MS sSl?5 &{l* £ft c ’ &'?S Cfls 
 
 fhe Scotch Minifiers An - 
 fwer to the foregoing Let¬ 
 ter, 
 
 Reverend and Dear SIR, 
 
 "T Received your Letter of the a ad ult , 
 £ with the Pamphlet, call’d, An An- 
 Jvoer to the Country Par fin’s Plea , &c, 
 I have perufed both with Attention, and 
 am of Opinion, if they were difperfed 
 in this Country, fo as to fall into the 
 .Hands of all thofe who have been en¬ 
 gaged in our moft; unhappy, and, as you 
 juftly call themj unchriftian Difputes, 
 they might have the Effeft to cure them, 
 in fome Meafure ; by determining eve¬ 
 ry Man of common' Senfe and Honefty, 
 who has no diredl Intereft, worldly or 
 ambitious View, to promote thefe Dif- 
 orders, to ufe his Influence to prevent 
 them for the future. 
 
 But 
 
But I fuppofe you have not yet for¬ 
 got the Temper and Difpofition of our 
 High-flying Brethren ; that although 
 they are - the Minority in moft Pref- 
 byteries, yet how indefatigable they are 
 to feduce the fincere, well-meaning, but 
 ignorant Country People, who are our 
 own Elders, and to inflame them againfl: 
 every one who differs with themlelves 
 in Opinion, lhould they by fuch Means 
 get a Majority in any Church-judicatory, 
 as they have of late done in our Gene¬ 
 ral Affemblies, you know how fevere 
 our Church Difcipline is. And if they 
 failed' in this, how ready would they be 
 to out-hound all the furious and igno¬ 
 rant Bigots upon any Perfon, elpecially 
 one of my Character, who fhould be con¬ 
 cerned in publilhing, or offering to the 
 Confideration of Mankind, any Paper of 
 this Kind, that tends to deftroy their 
 darling Idol, Popularity , and to leffen 
 the mighty Figure they imagine they 
 make in this Country, by their Influ¬ 
 ence upon thofe well-meaning, but un¬ 
 wary People, who are milled by them. 
 
 I have therefore kept the Paper up¬ 
 on Tythes, but returned your own Let¬ 
 ter • becaufe if it is printed at London , 
 
( 3 ° ) 
 
 our Boofcfellers here may have both 
 from thence ; and every Man, Clergy,, 
 man as well as Layman, who dare open 
 his Eyes to Reafon, may in this Age 
 of Liberty, fafely read what he plea- 
 fes for his better Information, 
 
 I am, 
 
 Reverend and Dear Sir, 
 Tour's, 6Cc. 
 
 Edinburgh, . 
 
 May i) 1736,