nearly, be affected: And I am neither fupposing it poffible for a true Lover of his Country to be wholly infenfible of what relates to its Credit and Profperity, nor that it is always unlawful to declare his well-grounded Sentiments concerning fuch Tranfactions. But then, even in fuch Cases, there is a fuitable Refpect due to Authority wherefoever placed, and more especially to that of the fupreme Magiftrate: Who, not only on Ac count of the honourable Relation in which He ftands to GOD, but also as being our Civil Parent, may reasonably expect from us the fame facred Regard to his Person, the same tender Concern for his Reputation, the fame Unwillingness rafhly to receive unfavourable Impreffions or to spread unkind Reports, to which our Natural Parents are confeffedly entitled. And after all, a diligent Attendance on the Business of a Man's proper Calling will ordinarily be found his best Method of expreffing a reasonable Affection for his Country, and an excellent Preservative against unreasonable Anxiety about it.

Whether therefore our Superiours fhall at all Times discharge their respective Offices to our Satisfaction or not; be it our Care punctually to answer the Demands of our own. The Truth is, the Conduct of Perfons at a

Distance

Distance from us is a Point, about which we may be little qualified to judge; and, should we proceed to país Sentence, our Cenfures might probably be uncharitable, at beft impertinent: But our own Business is what we both may and ought to be well acquainted with: This therefore we may fafely study, and in this we may usefully employ our selves. And happy would it be for the whole Community, were the Activity of its several Members thus regularly employed: happy for each Member, could he be perfwaded thus to confine his Attention to his own Affairs. These would then be fo carefully, and, by the Bleffing of Providence, fo fuccessfully managed, that Men would seldom find any Temptation at Home for endeavouring to difturb Settlements, or to throw Things into Confufion: They would have little Leisure or Inclination for that Speaking Evil of Dignities, or those undutiful Murmurings and Complainings against them, which are often fo many Steps towards Sedition and Rebellion in the Perfons themselves; or however (as we have found by fatal Experience) may, where there is no fuch Defign, give Encouragement to them in Others.

And let none of us make light of Sedition and Rebellion: Which, unless Principles themfelves

M

a

felves are become liable to Variation, can never be confidered as indifferent and harmless Things, by any real Friend to the focial Interests of Mankind, any fincere Profeffor of the Religion of the Bleffed JESUS, or any true Son of that Church, whofe Honour it has ever been constantly to inculcate the Duty of Subjection to the higher Powers. "Who thefe higher Powers are," will not (I hope) now be made a Question, after the present Settlement of the Crown has taken Place thro' fo long a Course of Years, and has been over and over recognized (as it was at first established) by the fupreme Wisdom of the Nation. Or, if real Scruples fhould remain with any in this Generation; even these, I prefume, could hardly justify private Perfons in attempting by Violence and Bloodshed to remove Kings and fet up Kings: This Work the Almighty claims as a Branch of His Prerogative; and, as He needs not the Affiftance of frail Mortals to enable Him to finish it, to Him, methinks, Men really fcrupulous fhould choose to leave it, to be accomplished at His own Time and in His own Way.--But as to Others, who have no Scruples of this Kind; who have acknowledged the Lawfulness of the eftablished Governb Dan. II. 21.

a.Rom. XIII. 1.

ment,

ment, and for many Years enjoyed great Quietnefs and Safety under it; and who, if they have not been farther obliged by any perso nal Favours, have however, in the Course of a long Reign, been unprovoked by any real Acts of Oppreflion or Tyranny, any Violation of private Property, any Infraction of the Liberty, Laws, or Juftice of the Community: For any fuch Perfons, (especially if to all other Ties of Gratitude and Duty they have added that most awful one, the Oath of GOD;) to take the Sword against their King and their Fellow-Subjects; to do their Part towards involving their Country in all the Calamities of an intestine War, and (in Case even of Success) towards entailing Slavery upon their Pofterity: This furely must be a Proceeding of which I will only here say, I bless God that fo few, comparatively speaking fo extremely few, of those who call themfelves Englishmen, ftand chargeable with the aggravated Guilt of it.

Laftly; Has the good Providence of GoD once more interpofed in the Protection of that excellent Church whereof we are Members, from the Dangers to which it appeared lately exposed? If our Thankfulness flow from a just Value for this Bleffing, it will express itself in a conftant Watchfulness for the Preferva

tion of the fame happy Conftitution; in an exemplary Attendance on its Worship and its Ordinances; and, most of all, in an Improvement anfwerable to thofe Advantages, which we ftill enjoy by the Continuance of it.

As to our Adverfaries of the Church of Rome, let our late Apprehenfions inspire us, though not with any Afperity against their Characters, or Rancour against their Persons, yet with an irreconcileable Averfion to their unchristian Tenets, their corrupt and abominable Practices. Notwithstanding all their Artifices, notwithstanding any favourable Opinions we may charitably entertain of the Intentions of particular Members of That Communion; be we well affured, that the Ruft of Popery itself hath not yet been altogether wiped away. Of its Perfidy and untolerating Spirit we have recent Inftances in fome Neighbouring Countries: And, if we ourselves have not feen, yet our Fathers have told us, fome unpromifing Experiments of its tender Mercies and its Method of keeping Faith with Hereticks, that have more than once been made in our own. And, * after all that has formerly come upon us, after all that we lately dreaded, for our Evil Deeds; feeing

a

See a Tract lately Publifhed, intituled, Popery always the Same. Printed by F. Oliver. 1746. a Ezra IX. 13, 14.

our