Life and diary of Lieut. Col. J. Blackader

480 LIFE OF COL. BLACKADER. CHAP. XX.
to get their grievances redressed. I said I was will-
ing to go in with the second and last of these propo-
sals, if we could fall upon a proper way to do it, but
I disagreed with the first ; for these grievances were
now, many of them, enacted into laws, and so it is
the legislative power alone that must help us ; and for
us to adress the executive, when it is the legislative
only that can help us, were the seeking a remedy
where it is not to be found, and putting a thorn in
the King's foot, and he gets too many of these.
Speaking of the Toleration, (which was one of the
grievances,) I said it was my opinion, that it was not
so much the legal toleration that was a grievance, as
a connivance at practices beyond the law ; and that
if magistrates in towns, and justices in the country
would execute the laws as they were impowered to
do, and which the Toleration Act did not hinder them
from doing, then there would be no such abuse or
grievance in the toleration itself. For instance, I said,
in this our capital, where the Assembly sits, there are
twelve or fifteen Meeting-houses where either the
Pretender is prayed for, or King George is not prayed
for, and where the principles of rebellion are taught.
Now the Act does not allow this ; and if these houses
were shut up, as I suppose by law they may and
ought to be under such circumstances, then the tole-
ration could be no grievance ; for I would have liberty,
to all scrupulous consciences, to worship God in their
own way. Upon this, some went out and told the
Provost of Edinburgh what we were about,' as if we
were reflecting upon him ; and he came in imme-
diately and justified himself, which, I told him, I was
glad of, and that I had given him an opportunity to