Ixxviii The P R E F A C Ê. excufed from laborious application to fludy; yet he gave hirnfelf to reading, meditation, and the compofing of fermons, with as great induftry as ever. He wrote all his fermons at full length, all legible, and it appears that he compofed one almoft every week. IN the year 1733, the diffenters, upon the encouragement they had got from fome perfons of diftinftion on the other fide the water, and ftrong affurances, that 'a con - fiderable number of members of parliament in this kingdom would be upon their fide, propofed to move the houfe of commons for a bill to repeal the facramental teft ad. When this project was firft formed, Mr. Abernethy wrote a paper to Phew the un- reafonablenefs and injuilice of all fuch laws, as upon account of mere differences in reli- gious opinions and ufages incapacitate fub- jeEts, in other refpeds perfeétly qualified for it, to ferve their country in places of power or truft; and cut them off from privileges and advantages to which, as free born fub- jets, they have a natural and juft title ; and particularly, that in the prefent Rate of Ireland, the continuing to reftrain proteft- ants
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