racter 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
III. By which they are obliged to "profess, and to the utmost of their
power maintain, in all their dominions, the laws of God, the true
profession of the gospel, and the true reformed religion established by
law." But these things the presbytery leave to such whom it may more,
properly concern. Let it, however, be observed that the presbytery are
not here to be interpreted as approving of the abovesaid oath, as it
designedly obliges to the maintenance of the abjured English hierarchy
and popish ceremonies, which might better be called _a true reformed
lie_, than the true reformed religion. Nevertheless, this being the
British coronation oath, it clearly determines that all legal
establishments behoove to be Protestant, and that without a violation of
said oath, no other religion can be taken under protection of law but
what is called Protestant religion only.

The presbytery conclude the whole of this additional remark with
observing, That as in the former instances of the exercise of this
Erastian power above mentioned, the present church of Scotland never
gave evidence of her fidelity to Christ, so far as to testify against
them; so their assembly has, in a like supine, senseless manner,
conducted themselves with reference to this last and most alarming
instance. Notwithstanding all that has been remonstrated against it, and
in favor of the reformed religion,