A sermon preach'd to the people: at the Mercat Cross of Edinburgh; on the subject of the Union.

A SERMON Preach'd to the People, At the Mercat Cross of Edinburgh.

Eccles. Chap. X. Ver. 27. Better is he that Laboureth and aboundeth in all Things, than he that boasteth himself and wan|teth Bread.

DEarly Beloved Country-Men and fellow Citizens, suffer me to stop you a little in the furious Car|reer of your Passion, to hear a few Words of so|ber and unprejudiced Reason; I hope they will not be the less gratefull, if I accost you in that manner of Rhetorick, which your Ears are most accustomed to: I have chosen an Apocryphal Text, because my Subject is not Sacred, but Secular, but if it has not the Stamp of divine Inspiration; it is taken from a Book, which of all that are not Canonical, contains the most sublime, most useful, and most approved Maxims of Wisdom, whether private OEconomical or Political; and as all Wisdom and Truth cometh from God, in that Sense my Text may be said to be of divine Authority.

Dearly beloved Country-Men, a Generous, Power|ful and Victorious Nation, invites you to an intimate Union with themselves, a Nation whose Laws are more Just, whose Government is more Mild, whose People are more Free, Easy and Happy, than any other in Europe; a Nation who by their Wealth, Wisdom and Valour, have broke the most formidable Power that ever threa|tned Christendom; To whose victorious Arms even you your selves owe your present Security; this Nation I say, invites you to a Co-partner-ship of all the Advan|tages they presently Enjoy, or may reasonably hope for: A gracious Queen of the ancient Line of our own Mo|narchs, desires nothing more than that the People from whom she derives her Blood, should enjoy the same Li|berty and Plenty with others whom Providence has cal|led her to Govern. It might justly have been expected, that such a generous Proposal would have been well|com'd with the universal Acclamations of all Ranks and Degrees of People, instead of that you have received it with Riots, Mobs and Tumults; if the offer had not been Profitable, it was at least Civil, and deserv'd a friendly Reception, and a courteous Answer: A Treaty that was enter'd into at the desire of your own Parlia|ment, as well as that of your Neighbours, and carried on by the Authority of the common Soveraign of both, such a Treaty I say, was a matter of that weight as made it a very unfit Subject for the Judgment (much more for the Scorn and Contempt) of Boys, Apprenti|ces, and Trades-men: But since the transcendent Wis|dom of your Leaders have thought otherways, let me beseech you in the words of my Author, Eccles. 11. & 7. Blame not before thou hast examined the Truth, under|stand

first and then Rebuke: To enable you in some mea|sure to make such an Enquiry, I have chosen the words of my Text, Better is he that Laboureth and aboundeth in all Things, than he that boasteth himself and wanteth Bread.

From the words you may Observe, a very intimate Conjunction betwixt three dismal Companions, Pride, Poverty and Idleness; this is a worse Union a great deal than that which we are to Discourse of at present, these three love extreamly to keep Company, and I could never guess for what reason, unless it be to Teaze and Vex one another: Poverty does what she can to starve Pride, and Pride eats out the Heart, Blood, and Gutts of Poverty, and Laziness will not stir an Inch to relieve either: That these three fatal Sisters may not only be separated, but eternally Banish'd this Kingdom, it shall be the Subject of my following Discourse to show, that it's better to Encrease our Trade, Manufacture, and Riches, by an Union with England, than to boast of our Soveraignty and Starve; For better is he that Labou|reth and aboundeth in all Things, than he that boasteth himself and wanteth Bread.

And here indeed it must be Prov'd, that an Union with England will Encrease our Trade and Manufacture, in order to which, I will ask the greatest Zealote against the Union, a few Questions, and let him answer me if he can. Whether the great difference betwixt the Wealth of Scotland and England is entirly Owing to the Natural Advantages of England, as of fruitfulness of Soil Situation, &c. Or, if it does not in some measure proceed from political causes? Scotland is equal at least in Extent to a Third of England, its People more health|ful, more Prolifick and more Temperate, why has

England then seven times the Number of People, every Acre in Scotland is not Barren, nor every Acre in Eng|land fruitful, how comes it then that England has Fifty times the Riches of Scotland? For Example; why does Oxford-Shire, not so big as Fiffe, pay to a Land-Tax; near as much as all Scotland? Are there not many places on each side the Firth of Forth which exceed the Town of Newcastle, in Soil, Situation, Products Natur|al and Artificial; How comes it to pass then that the Town of Newcastle has more Trade, more Rich Mer|chants and pays more Customs, than all the Towns in Scotland put together. It is plain, these great differ|ences do not proceed meerly from natural, but likewise from Political Causes, nay lt's easy to Assigne a piece of England equal in extent, much Inferior to the Gifts of Na|ture of some part of Scotland, and yet Triple in Value, I know Wales is brought by some as an Instance to Prove that an Union will not encrease the Trade and Riches of a Mountanous Country, that their Condition is not bettered by an Union with England: To this I Answer, that the matter of Fact is false, if the Objecti|on has any Strength, it ought to Prove, that Wales would not be the worse to be deprived of the Benefite of the Trade of England, a Paradox too sublime for any Welch-Man, but most obvious to the Elevated under|standings of some of our worthy Patriots. 2dly, I say, the Comparison is not fairly stated betwixt the worst part of England and the best of Scotland, Wales in many places does not Exceed the Highlands of Scotland, in any thing except the height of the Mountains; But set|ting aside all these things, let us State the Comparison; The Twelve very small Countys of Wales contain 917

Parishes, 58 Market Towns, 316000 People, and Pay 43752 lib. sterl. to the Land Tax, which shows they are almost Equal to half the Number of People in Scot|land, and Pay near as much Taxes as the whole, And it's known, that Wales is more Under-Rated in their Taxes, and easier in the Excise than Scotland, Thus you see it would be hard to find 12 of the Richest Coun|ties in Scotland to compare with an equal Number and less extent of the worst in England, which is, as I said, a Demonstration that the Riches of England is the Effect of Policy as much as of Nature; And is it not as plain, that the Protection of the same Laws, the influence of the same Government, the partnership of the same Plan|tations, and of all other Priviledges, Foregin and Dom|estick, will much Better the Condition of Scotland, There is hardly any subject of Trade of the Growth of England, which we are totally deprived of, and we have one Peculiar, which kind Providence and Nature has af|forded us, tho we never had the Grace, nor Industry to make use of it, I mean our Fish, thus we starve with that Commodity at our Doors, from which our Neighbours the Dutch draw the very Foundations of their Wealth and Maritime Power; Will you then still be fond of that ill Government and Management which even deprives you of the Provision that Indulgent Nature has thrown into your Mouths, But some will say, has not our Con|vention of Burrows Chosen Men, Skil'd in the deepest Mysteries of Trade, of Eminent Abilities and greater In|tegrity, have not they told us that the Trade of Eng|land is Unsupportable, that is, Untollerable, not to be endured, which is as much as if they had said, we have not Grandeur of Soul to Support so great Wealth and

Prosperity, we must be Contented to Live like Pedlers, whil'st English Merchants Live like Princes? Where is now your Pride? Where is now your boastings? But say you again, the same Convention of Burrows, not not less Skilled in Politicks than in Trade; have told us that the Trade of England is Precarious. It is hard to Answer all the Unreasonable Fears and Jealousies of Peo|ple. Has Wales since their Union, ever Complained of the Breach of one Article? Is there any one Privilege that an Englishman Enjoy's, which a Welchman is De|prived off? Do all the other Counties Unite to Oppress Yorkshire? There are indeed some unequalities of Taxes amongst themselves, wherein they have thought fit not to depart from a Rule once Establish'd; But this is so sar from being a Discouragement to Scotland, That 'tis their greatest Security, it shows how unwilling and un|capable a Parliament is, to Recede from Quota's already Settled, tho' unequal: Besides Matters in a free Go|vernment never go with that Unanimity, nor in a Bri|tish Parliament, will Parties ever be so unequally trim'd, that it will not be in the Power of a lesser Num|ber than the Scots Members, to Cast the Ballance, and if necessary, so to preserve themselves from Oppression, and 'tis highly probable, that the Party of the North and West who are under Tax'd, after an Union will be much Strengthn'd. I shall add no more on this head, but that England has Oppressed Scotland Ten times more, since the Union of the Two Crowns, than ever they will be able to do after the Union of the Two Parlia|ments, But says the same Ingenious Convention to show their Skill in Political Arthmetick, the Taxes of England are Unsupportable; To this I Answer, That it was hard|ly

ever known, that a Nation was affraid of high Cu|stoms upon their Import and Consumpt; when did that ever ruin any People? That is just as if a Man should complain that he could not be Rich because he has not leave to spend his Money; or that he will not accept of a Lairdship for fear of paying two Months Cess. With those intolerable Customs the English Merchants live higher, and acquire much greater Riches than ours do. As for the Land Tax, it can hardly ever be higher, and will be often nothing or much lower than what we now pay. Indeed the Encrease of Trade will be attended with an Encrease of Excise, and the Benefit of the one will be much greater than the Damage of the other; but then the Effect will not exceed the Cause, with this advantage, that all that is raised by the Publick be|yond the present Sum, by the Articles of the Treaty, is to remain in the Country: If after all you should want Money to pay your Taxes, I can propose no better Ex|pedient than that of the Gospel, Launcb out into the Deep and let down your Nets, and you may fetch your Tribute Money out of your Fishes; for after an Union you will have Stock to Employ your People to Catch them, and Vent for them when they are Catched.

Another Objection is, That an Union with England will draw our People out of Scotland, to the Metropolis of the Government, and to the Plantations; To which I an|swer, That after an Union there are many Reasons, and Inducements for our People to stay at Home, that do not subsist in the present State, but not any one (saving their attendance in the British Parliament) to draw them Abroad; how many People at present leave their Country for want of Employment, (I may say for want

of Bread) is evident to every body that knows either Scotland, or other Countries where multitudes of Scots are to be met with; nay I appeal to every Family in the Kingdom, if they have not Relations abroad, some where, or another, and this is the chief Cause, why Scotland, notwithstanding the Health, Temperance and Fruitfulness of the Inhabitants, is under Peopled: Now is it not extreamly probable that the Encrease of Trade, would employ and keep many at Home, that are now forc'd to seek their Bread in foreign Countries, and not only so, but when the restraint of the Laws of Trade, is taken off, the cheapness of Living and Manufacture, will invite People from other Parts into Scotland; par|ticularly the Scots who are now settled in the West-In|dies, would chuse to purchase and establish their Fami|lies in their own Country, not being any more restrai|ned by Acts of Navigation, from the returning their Effects thither. 2dly. If any Scotsman at present has a mind to settle in England, the minute he sets his Foot on English ground, he has the Privileges of an English|man: What then can intice him to leave his own Coun|try after an Union, more than before? I should imagine he would be less tempted to do so, because he can then have the same Privileges of Trade, and all other Immu|nities in staying at Home, which now he cannot have without going into England. If you say, that after an Union, his access to Preferment in the publick Stations of the Government, and consequently his Temptations to go to London, will be greater? That, is an advan|tage, for then he goes to get an Estate, and not to spend one, and he will readily Purchase in his own Country. If our Gentry and Nobility have a mind to

spend their Estates at London, I know no Law at present that restrains them, only necessity which has no Law? That indeed after an Union may be less, many of our Nobility and Gentry, are now continually at London, a few to Govern, some to Oppress, many to Complain, and all for Strife and Contention; and suppose by their attendance on a British Parliament, the Numbers of those should be doubled, Scotland gets little by an Uni|on, if it is not able to discharge the Expence of Thirty Noblemen and Gentlemen, at the rate of 2000 l. sterl. a Man, and perhapes the times may not be so hard, but some of them will carry more down than they brought up

Thus, I think, I have fully Answered this Objection, which is so far from being of any weight, that I must entreat you, by the Kindness and natural Affection you bear to your dear Children and Relations, by the Com|fort of their Society, and having them established a|mongst your selves in a flowrishing Condition; by the Casualties and Dangers, and by the unfortunate and fatal End, which their strowling into foreign Countries often exposes them to: By all these moving Arguments, I beseech you to Embrace so fair an Opportunity of ma|king them and your selves Happy for Ages to come; for as the wise Man says, Eccl. 29. & 24. It is a mise|rable life to go from House to House, for where thou art a Stranger thou darest not opea thy Mouth; thou shall Enter|tain and Feast and have no Thanks: Moreover thou shall hear bitter Words, these things are grieveous to a Man of Understanding. Thus I have gone throw my first Head, and have prov'd that as clearly as the Sun shines at Noon|day, and I call the same Sun to Witness against your

matchless Ignorance and Stupidity, if you reject so fa|vourable an offer of Liberty, Peace and Plenty.

I proceed now to the second Part of my Text, which is, your boasting of your Soveraignty, must we loose That? must we be no more a Kingdom? In the first place, I would ask any reasonable Man, Do we lose our Soveraignty in any other Sense, than England does? Is there not a new Title, new Seal, new Arms; and the same chan|ges for them as for us: For I take an Incorporating Uni|on to be, as if two pieces of Mettal, were melted down into one Mass, neither can be said to retain its former Form or Substance, as it did before the Mixture. We can never be so unreasonable as to pretend to an equal Number of Representatives in a British Parliament, when two Na|tions join in a common Assembly, the most Powerful and most Numerous, still will be the most Powerfull and most Numerous; whatever Mettal exceeded before the Mixture, the same will exceed in the Mass. It is impossi|ble to change the Nature of Things; according to this way of reasoning, it is not only impossible for Scotland ever to Unite with England, but for any lesser Nation ever to Unite with a greater: Why is it more Dishonourable for Scotland to Unite with England, than it is for Eng|land to Unite with Scotland? What is it that Scotland looses? The Country, the People, are not Annihilated, nor does an Union cause that all the worthy Deeds, that have been done at any time by the Scots Nation, or Scotsman, are undone. A Welchman, would take it ve|ry unkindly, if we should tell him that by his Union with England, he has sulli'd the Glory and Antiquity of the ancient British Race: None can have a greater va|lue for noble Atchievements and Honour of our Ance|stors,

than I have; but as for our Independency, so much boasted of, tho it be most certainly true in it self, and undeniable in Law, as well as justifiable from Hi|story, yet at present, it is in effect only Precarious Ima|ginary and Fantastical, and is no more than the Privi|lege to be Govern'd by a Ministry under foreign Influ|ence; which I say not to insinuate the least Reflection on our present Ministry, who have the Honour to Act a great part, in putting an end to a Grievance so much complain'd of, a Blessing perhaps in vain to be expected or lookt for at another time: Can any Man be so desti|tude of common Sense, as to think his Liberty and Pro|perty, more safely and more honourably lodg'd in such Hands, than in those of a British Parliament: Now in lieu of this titular Soveraignty, and imaginary Inde|pendency, by an Union you acquire true and solid Po|wer and Dominion, to have Sixty Members in a British Parliament; the twelfth share of disposing of 6000000 l. of Money, which is the same with the sole Power of disposing of 500000, to have your Fleets and Armies Conquering Abroad, the Arbitration of the Affairs of Europe, your selves Represented in foreign Courts and Assemblies; when had Sixty Scotsmen Affairs of that Im|portance laid before them? To have your Nobility Peers of Great-Britain, with their Persons and Reputations Sacred over the Island, and their Lives only subject to the Inquest of a British House of Lords; to have your Quota of the most eminent Posts of the Government of Great-Britain; are not these things Substantial, Power and Dominion, preferable to the Triffles you now en|joy, besides that the value of those will be encreased, and is it not more eligible to have such a share, both of

the Government of your selves, and of England, than to be managed by Favourites, often contrary to your most apparent Int'rests.

But all these Advantages may be obtain'd by a Faederal Union some say; it is an amazing thing, to consider how People are Banter'd out of their Common Sense, with meer Names and Chimeras, to avoid Multiplicity of Words, by a Faederal Union, I suppose is meant that the English should Barter their Trade, for our Settling of their Successor, I would desire any Man who thinks such a bargain feazible to make the following Reflecti|ons; in any Vote that ever past yet in Scotland against the Settling the Succession, whether he thinks that England could not Purchase the Majority of that Differ|ence, at a Cheaper Rate, than the Liberty of their Trade and Plantations, let them ask the Consciences of those who Voted against the Settlement of the Successi|on, if the hopes of a Faederal Union, was the Motive that induc'd them to do so? Let them ask those that Vo|ted for it, if they will Vote so no more till they have obtain'd it, to show how un-sincerly they deal, who make this their pretence. Many of these very Gentle|men will be Contented to Settle the Succession on any Terms; But 2ly. Where is there such a Faederal Uni|on betwixt two Nations, without a Common Assembly? The Confederated Provinces, and the Confederated Can|tons have one where the Representatives of all the par|ticular Bodies meet, 3dly. Can any Man believe, that the English will mantain Plantations, Garrison them, and Defend them with their Fleets and Armies, to let Scots who are at none of these Charges reap the Pro|fite of the Trade, will they Establish Customs and Du|ties,

as the Rule of their Export Abroad, and Consum|ption at Home, and suffer the Scots to Trade without any Rule of Customs, or no Customs, High, or Low as they please, if they would do this, it were no hard matter to have the Monopoly of their Trade, this were a most Precious Jewel indeed, and very well worth contending for. But if such a Concession should be thought unreasonable, I would desire in the next place to know, how a commone expence, in Mantaining and Providing for Forts, Plantations and Factories, can be Carried on, without a common Thesaury and Govern|ment. And Lastly, if the English should allow us such a Priviledge, can we be secure of it, without we have our Representatives in their Parliament, to take care of our Interest? And can any man of Sense think, that we should be more unsecure of our Priviledges, when we have Members in their Assembly, than when we have none, when we are Domesticks, than when we are Strangers? In the former case, nothing destroies our Privileges but what dissolves the Union, for it is hardly possible to conceive, that all the other Counties should Unite to hinder a York Shire Man to Trade to the Plan|tations, when the Riches he acquires by his Trade, goes to the Support of the Government, of which they them|selves are Members, in the case of one Nation, and one People, it is indifferent to the Supreme Power, in what part of Great Britain their Riches ly.

I shall conclude this Article, with the words of the wise Man, Eccl 54. 1. The hopes of a Man void of Un|derstanding are Vain and False, and Dreams lift up Fools. I have set before you to day, on one hand Industry and Riches, on the other Pride and Poverty, I have not required a blind assent, to what I affirm, I have not

Impos'd my opinion because 'tis fashionable, or because such a Lord who is my Friend and Patron thinks so, or because Mess. John or Mess. James said so, or because my Drunken Companions Swear Damn them it is so? I deal with you as reasonable Men, and have purpose|ly insisted on such Arguments, as are obvious to the meanest Understanding. I Conclude with a general Ex|hortation to all Ranks and Degrees of People, to pro|mote this Good Work, it is manifestly the Interest of you Landed-Men for the Encrease of Trade and Manu|facture, will double, yea triple, the value of your Estates, by raising the Price of the Product, and the num|ber of the Purchassers; besides, your Lands being gene|rally in the worst Repair, that is, the most improveable Condition, and your Security by the use of a Register, the best in the Island. No doubt after the restraint of Laws is taken off, Strangers will be encouraged to Pur|chase among you: Why then will you chuse to live in a miserable moyling Condition, paying high Interest for Money, which Land-Rents cannot Discharge, ha|ving no way to dispose of your younger Children, but by sending them abroad into the wide World to seek their Fortunes; whereas after the Conclusion of this great Affair, you will have opportunities to employ them in Trade and Business, and access (according to Merit) to the best Posts of Great Britain. As for you Tennents, the Necessity of your Masters, is the occasion of your Poverty, Trade will enable them to let longer Leases and you to take them, and conform you in time to English Customs, where Masters govern a free People, and are duly payed their Rents, and Tennents enjoy what remains with equal Security. As for you Trades|men,

the value of your Manufacture will be raised, you will have the opportunity to dispose of it, not only over all the Island, but over all the World, you are Ingeni|ous, Industrious, and live Cheap; what then can hinder you to be more Rich, than those who have less of all these Qualities? Where there are Hands to Work, and Simples to work upon, and Vent for the Manufacture, it is impossible but there must be Trade, if our own Stock is not sufficient, you will be assisted by that of England, the very novelty of the thing will in some measure contribute to this, for all the Branches of Traf|fique in England, being Traded bare, where there are new Subjects of Trade, Merchants will try new Pro|jects, their Interest will never suffer them to be partial to this, or that Country, but will send their Money where they can have the best Bargain. And you Poor Labourers, shall raise your Wages from Two-pence to Twelve-pence, from Ten Pounds to a Hundred Pounds.

You see the Objections used by the Opposers of an Union, are either frivolous, founded upon gross Fals|hoods, or do plainly prove the contrary of what they are adduced for; and I have that opinion of the Under|derstanding of several of the Anti-Uniters, that they do not so much as convince themselves, they are only a Vail drawn over your Eyes to hide from you your present Poverty and Slavery, and the glorious Prospect which an Union with England presents you with; you are used only as Tools and Machines, to bring about their facti|ous and ambitious Designs: However I shall beseech all such Gentlemen and Persons of Quality, to consider that it is not a slight Matter to sacrifice the present and future Prosperity of their Country, to an unreasonable

Humor, to make a numerous People and their Posterity, Beggars and Slaves for Ages to come, and perhapes their Country a field of Blood, by endeavouring to en|tall this upon their Neighbours, as well as themselves; or if they are sway'd with some Reason of less impor|tance, as the Treaty not being of their own Framing, I desire them to consider, that this is so very Childish, that a Senator should be asham'd to own it, if the pretty little Masters, their Children should take their Fathers places in Parliament, such a Reason would hardly be allowed to pass current among them: An Union is a Matter of great Weight and Importance, and very Good, or Bad, in it self; if it is a bad Thing, our most intimate Friends the Treaters, can never recommend it? If it is a good Thing, it is so great a Good, that we ought not to refuse it, from those against whom our per|sonal Resentments run highest. Among the Opposers of the Union, I know a great many Persons of Honour, who have as true a Sense of Liberty, and as great a concern for the Well are of their Country, as any such need, only lay aside some sew Prejudices and Reflections, their Judgments will quickly inform them of the true value of the Proposal. To such as are affraid of the Church and Religion, I shall only say, that the Religi|on of the Church of England is impos'd upon no Man within the Dominions of England; as for the squeemish|ness of sitting in Parliament with Prelates, and the fear of being Disarm'd of all other Weapons but what are al|lowed by the Gospel; these are such unchristian Dis|suasives from an Union, that to mention them only, is to refute them. The putting an end to uncharitable and unreasonable Divisions about our triffling Differences in

Religion, is one of the great Benefites Scotland will reap by this Union: I am not so much terrified at the Vision, of a noble Lord, as he is himself, but heartily wish to see a Plantation of as Rich Jews as any in Amsterdam, as Rich Independents, Quakers and Anabaptisms, as any in England, settled in all the Trading Towns of the King|dom; not but that I think all Motives that are not Pe|nal, ought to be used for their Conversion, but would not have Church-Men affraid of the encrease of their Manufacture; for Hereticks are properly the Subject which they are to work upon, to be affraid to live among Hereticks, is to refuse the Task their Master has imposed upon them: Their Predecessors the Apostles used to go at the hazard of their Persons, to Preach the Gospel to the Jews; they are affraid the Jews should come to them, where they run no risque at all, in at|tempting their Conversion. In a word, if any unjust Tyranny over the Persons, Estates, or Consciences of Men, be the Motive, which prevail with some to op|pose this Union, I would have such consider, that to Govern a free People, is a more noble and honourable Character, than to Insult over Slaves and Beggars, and if any such there be, who hug their Chains, and are fond of their Raggs, and as a wretched People once did by the Romans refuse their Liberty when offered, they are unworthy of so generous and beneficial a Proposal. Lastly, if this is only a Scuffle raised by the consede|rated Force of the Skillin and Louis d' Or; let such con|sider, that both of them are not to be put in the bal|lance with the Guinea, which they may get by their In|dustry: Consider then in this your Day, the happy Condition of your Neighbouring Nation; survey their

verdant Fields, beautiful Plantations, and sumptuous Gardens, where Culture, Art and Expences reign; their populous and flowrishing Cities, view the Magni|ficence of their publick Structures; the neatness, clean|liness, conveniency and costly Furniture of their private Houses; consider the Liberty and Plenty of their mea|nest Commons, the comfortable Estates which even the basest of their Tradesmen leave to their Families; the immense Riches of their Merchants, the Grandure and Magnificence of their Learn'd Societies; the prodigious Stocks of their Trading-Companies; the unconquerable Force of their Fleets and Armies; the Justice and exact Execution of their Laws, and the wise Administration of their Government: Ponder all these things, and then sure you will not reckon them your Enemies, who offer you a Partnership in so great Blessings; but will con|clude with the wise Man in my Text, Better is he that Laboureth and aboundeth in all Things, than he that boa|steth himself and wanteth Bread.

FINIS.