Jesus, and prejudicial to the peace and purity of
his church; contrary to the scriptures of the old and new Testament;
contrary to the confession of faith and catechisms, chap. xx. Sec. 1.
and chap. xxiii. Sec. 3. Being placed also among the sins of the second
command, in the larger catechism; contrary to the principles of the
church of Scotland; being condemned, warned of, and witnessed against by
acts of assembly, _anno_ 1649. And by her faithful pastors preaching,
writing, and protesting against such tolerations; (and sometimes even
when papists were excluded, as that, against which the ministers of Fife
and Perth did testify). And contrary to our covenants, wherein we are
bound to preserve reformation, and uniformity in doctrine, worship,
discipline and government, to extirpate popery, &c. to free our souls
from the guilt of other men's sins, defend our liberties; and
consequently never to comply with a toleration, eversive of all these
interests we are sworn to maintain, and productive of these things we
are sworn to endeavour the extirpation of.

3. Because it was clogged with such conditions and limitations, as did
exceedingly hamper the freedom of the ministry, being offered (in
proclamations) and accepted (in addresses and obedience) with
restrictions to persons who might preach, (allowing some, and
discharging others, who had as good authority as they, to exercise their
ministry) to places where they should preach (only where intimation was
given of the name of the place, and of the preachers, to some of the
lords of the council, &c.) and to the matter what, or at least what they
might not preach, _to wit_, nothing that might have any tendency to
alienate the hearts of the people from a popish and tyrannical
government; and consequently nothing against the wickedness, or of the
misery of tyranny; nothing against the toleration, and the open sins
proclaimed therein, and wicked ends designed thereby; nothing against
disabling the penal statutes, or for the obligations of them, and ties
of national covenants strengthening them.

4. Because of the manifold scandal of it, we cannot but witness against
it, because so disgraceful to the Protestant religion, and prejudicial
to the interest thereof. It was reproachful to our religion, sometimes
established by law, then only tolerate, under the notion of an evil to
be suffered: How confounding and consternating was this to all the
reformed churches, that sometimes admi