Winds waft fhips to their refpective ports, although they sometimes wreck and demolish them: wine banishes gloom, and gladdens the heart; although, in fome inftances, it maddens and inebriates. foaring above their capacity in impertinent researches) it generally tends to the clearing up truth, and obviating error. But free inquiry needs but little difcouragement, because the number is, and is likely to be, but small, who, with fincerity and affiduity, But to return to the fpirit of party: I feek after truth, in comparison of thofe define it to be " an over-fondness for, or who are wholly paffive from indolence, attachment to, any fect, principle, or set of and fuffer themfelves to be carried along principles, for this reason, viz. because by the tide of education, and blind impli- we ourselves have thought proper to adopt citude; and I question whether the fophif- and espouse them, either with or without. try of Lord Bolingbroke, and fome other lucrative views." The effect of this difwriters in that strain, may not have made pofition of mind, carried to any height, is many converts to religion. However de- an averfion, diftafte, and shynefs in behafireable a general uniformity in fentiment viour, to people of different fentiments; may appear to be, it cannot be brought and, when it influences in religious matters, about by coercive and penal laws, by runs into superstition, stops the current of bloodshed and defolation; for there have benevolence, where it ought to have the always arifen, and always will arife, fome largest diffufion, and farthest extent; inmen of fpirit, who voluntarily chofe to jures equally the fociety and the individual ✈ facrifice their lives rather than their mental begets a pharifaical self-righteousness; and, liberty; and these will make converts to in a word, becomes a bondage, not fliatheir opinions, in fpite of all the means dowed out fufficiently terrible in that of that can be used to counteract them. This Egypt of old. From profligacy, fociety defireable end can be no more attained by by accident derives fome benefits; from. religious deceits, or pious frauds; for Pro- fuperftition none: yet this monster, under vidence, to fhew that its cause has no need the difguife of extraordinary fanctity, finds of fuch despicable resources, always perher way into the receffes of the most pious mits them to be detected, and to fall into hearts, overspreads them with fullen gloom, contempt. The guile ufed by St. Paul, I preys upon the natural benignity which the take to be no other than a backing his ar- finds in their difpofitions, and fo confounds. guments with fome feasonable appeal to herself with their piety, that she is seldom their paffions; and, however difpaffionate difpoffeffed, after once received: at length ly people affect to talk, it must be owing the unhappy votaries of this fplenetic deity to a too fuperficial view of human nature, deal condemnation around them with a that they imagine any man can be wrought liberal hand, and are mighty angry with upon to a change of his fentiments, or his all thofe who are not equally devoted to practice, by cool argument, divefted of all her with themselves, nor will relinquish regard to paffions or affections. Revela- their claim to mental liberty. Religion, tion itself appeals to our hopes and our praised be her almighty Author, is abfofears, our love and our hatred, and now lutely impregnable to all the efforts of the and then even inspirits ‘our ambition; and powers of darkness; was she not, fhe could.. herein confifts the great energy of its ar- never have stood revered and beloved for guments, with those especially who have fo many ages, in fpite of this intruding not capacities to weigh their force, and ape, who affumes her name and some parts confider their connexion. of her vesture; but may be generally known from the original by a greater degree of oftentation, pageantry, and parade, more numerous and more zealous external obfervations of meats, drinks, cloths, days, But the practice of appealing to the paffions needs little encouragement, as all parties naturally give into it; and the groffeft abfurdities, and moft manifeft contradictions, are every day feconded and enforced by fuch appeals: nevertheless they ate of fervice, when reafon and truth are at the helm, by enfuring attention, and confirming belief; and it is not to be fupposed that our passions were given us for no other end, but to put us to the trouble of totally mortifying or extirpating them. &c. And the enemies of the former could never have hit on a more plaufible method of driving her from the earth, than their multiplication of fupernumerary principles, annexing to them the fpecious epithet of effential, and perfuading mankind to tag them on to thofe which are really fuch, that the whole being jumbled and con founded founded together, the whole might, with fome appearance of reason, be rejected as chimæra.---But thefe external trifles are made the badges of parties, and by a hot zeal for these is the fpirit of party kept alive. To remain in a ftate of exact neutrality, in all matters of controverfy, is certainly a blameable piece of fcepticism, or indolence; and to justify, on the other hand, every opinion maintained by the party we have adopted, without a thorough inquiry into its merit and reasonableness, is narrow meanness and bigotry: yet men of fenfe too frequently give into this error, and thereby greatly impede the ufe of their parts and abilities, and render themfelves at leaft blanks, if not worse, to the community. Every man, who hath not fome measure of biafs in favour of the opinions which he hath received from education, as well as of a spirit of patriotifm, or honeft love to his country, and zeal for its intereft, must be devoid of one of the most natural as well as noble characteristics of human nature: and I could entertain but a poor pinion of a Jew, or a Mahometan, who fhould renounce his principles, and embrace our holy profeffion of Chriftianity, without a strong and almost irresistible conviction of its being his duty so to do. Prejudices are to be tenderly dealt with, and never renounced, but from rational evidence. Thus all parties concur in looking afkant upon turn-coats, and being fufpicious of the integrity of their motives; and I am very apt to think thefe precipitant tranfitions are often owing to a mind enamoured of novelty, a perverse and contumacious rebellion against parental authority and fociety-government, or to fordid and pecuniary views: but when this natural prejudice, originally honeft and commendable, gains such strength and tenacity as to prevent free inquiry, and blind our minds to truth and the nature of things, it commences the fpirit of party, ends in fuperftition, and becomes injurious, as before defcribed. The effects of honeft and free difquifitions are obviously good upon the whole; and a general toleration, fuch as now takes place, is much likelier to produce a general uniformity, than the most fevere act of parliament for that purpofe; as the mind of man naturally rifes against compulfion, and will always affert its natural right of exercising its faculties; and to compel men to an hypocritical uniformity, is by no means a defireable thing. Where a free difcuffion of controverted points is allowed, we fee and feel the force, of reason on every fide, and thence are gradually brought nearer to a concurring point of mediocrity; whereas a contrary procedure generates mutual distrust, and heart-burnings, that continually fet us further at odds. And this holds good as well in politicks as in religion. Nevertheless malice, ignorance, and madness, will now and then, by taking intolerable liberties, call for the interpofition of exemplary penal laws, to which every one is juftly obnoxious who calumniates, or endeavours to bring into contempt, the most facred and univerfally received effentials, either in religion or government. The members of all chriftian diffenting fects should learn, at least, a quiet and passive submission to the establishment of their country, from, the meek example whom they all pretend to copy. They should likewife take an impartial review of the conduct of fome of their most famous leaders and founders, by which they would discover, that the charge of fanaticifm is not quite fo groundless as many of them imagine; nor would they fo highly extol the characters of thofe Quixotes in religion, as models of perfection and infallibility. Such fanctions, as they are founded in falfhood, will never advance their caufe; and they should reflect, that facts are transmitted to posterity, by hiftorians of other parties, equally credible with those of their own. On the other hand, the national christian establishments, should confider that chriftianity, itself, was deemed fanaticism, and chriftians, look'd upon as a peftilent fect, about feventeen hundred years fince, and that every fet of men who have made efforts for reformation have been perfe cuted and reviled as disturbers of society hereticks and enthusiasts: for all attempts towards reformation gall the pride and hurt the indolence of men, from which they don't chufe to be disturbed. The words whim, fanaticism, enthusiasm, herefy, and nonsense, have been hitherto applied indifcriminately, by all establishments to any proposed change of religious opinions; and frequently without a calı confideration of the real nature and tendency of the faid change. I was lately introduced to a gentleman's library, the difpofition of which was fomewhat whimsical and extraordinary: be fides a number of well-chofen books of mora AS we have at this time a prince on the throne, who has given many teftimonies of his extreme affection for his people, and of his readinefs and defire to conduce every thing in his power to their happiness,' we imagine the following Addrefs of the late learned Bishop Burnet to Princes, is fo properly adapted to the prefent conjuncture as to need little: apology for tranfcribing it here. This advice has ever been admired, and, if followed, muft equally tend to the benefit of the king and kingdom; and when had we jufter grounds to hope to fee it followed than under the reign of a prince whofe difpofition is fo happily framed for it, as his prefent Majetty. We defpife all flattery, and in this only fpeak our real fentiments. "HE first, the most effential, and moft would defire to be trusted; and will fupply him in every war that is necessary, either for their own prefervation, or the prefervation of thofe allies, with whom mutual interefts and leagues unite him.--Nothing creates to a prince fuch a confidence, as a conftant and clear firmness and steadiness of government, with an unblemished integrity in all his profeffions; and nothing will create a more univerfal dependence on him, than when it is vifible he ftudies to allay the heats of parties, and to reconcile them to one another this will demonftrate, that he loves his people, and that he has no ill defigns of his own. Tindifpenfible rule for a king is, to study the interest of the nation, to be ever -- As A prince who would be well ferved, ought to feek out among his fubjects the best and most capable of the youth, and fee to their good education at home and abroad; he fhould fend them to travel, and order his minifters abroad to keep fuch for fome time about them, and to fend them from court to court, to learn their language, and to obferve their tempers: if but twelve fuch were constantly kept on an allowance of 250 1. a year, the whole whole expence of this would rife to but 3000l. a year: by this inconfiderable charge a prince would have a conftant nursery for a wife and able ministry *. But thofe ought to be well chofen; none ought to pretend to the nomination; it ought to rife from the motion of the honeftest and most disinterested of all his minifters, to the prince in fecret. As great a care ought to be had, in the nomination of the chaplains of his minifters abroad, that there may be a breed of worthy clergymen, who have large thoughts and great notions, from a more enlarged view of mankind and of the world. If a prince would have all that ferve him grateful and true to him, he muft ftudy to find out who are the properest and worthiest men capable of employments, and prevent their applications, and furprise them with beftowing good pofts unfought, and raifing them higher as they ferve well. When it is known that a prince has made it his maxim to follow this method in diftributing his favours, he will cut off applications for them; which will otherwife create a great uneasiness to him, and have this certain ill effect, that, where there are many pretenders, one must have the preference to all the reft; fo that many are mortified for being rejected, and are full of envy at him who has obtained the favour, and therefore will detract from him as much as poffible: This has no where worfe effects than among the clergy, in the difpofal of the dignities of the church : and therefore queen Mary refolved to break thofe afpirings; which refolution the carried on effectually for fome years *: a conftant purfuing that maxim would have a great effect on the nation. Frequent progreffes round the nation, fo divided, that once in feven, eight or ten years, the chief places of it might be gone through, would recommend a prince wonderfully to the people; efpecially if he were gentle and affable, and would fo manage his progrefs, that it fhould not be a charge to any, by refufing to accept of entertainments, from any perfon whatfoever for the accepting these only from fuch as could easily bear the charge of it, would be an affronting of others, who being of equal rank, though not of equal eftates, would likewife defire to treat the prince. So to make a progress every where acceptable, and no where chargeable, the fure method would be, according to the established rules of the household, for the prince to carry the travelling wardrobe with him, and to take fuch houfes in the way, as are most convenient for him; but to entertain himself and his court there, and have a variety of tables for fuch as may come to attend on him. On this queen Mary had fet her heart, if fhe had lived to fee peace in her days; by this means a prince may fee and be seen by his people; he may know fome men that deferve to be diftinguished, of whom otherwise he would never have heard ; and he may learn and redress the grievances of his people, preventing all parliamentary complaints, except for fuch matters as cannot be cured but by a remedy in parliament: methods like thefe would make a prince become the idol of his people. It is certain, that their affections must follow a prince, who would confider government and the royal dignity as his calling, and would be daily employed in it, studying the good and happiness of his people, purfuing the propereft ways for promoting it, without either delivering himself to the floth of luxury and vain magnificence, or affecting the barbarity of war and conqueft; which render thofe who make the world a scene of blood and rapine, indeed the butchers of mankind. If thefe words feem not decent enough, I will make no other apology, but that I ufe them, because I cannot find worfe: for as they are the worst of men, so they deferve the worst of language. Can it be thought that princes are raised to the highest pitch of glory and wealth, on defign to corrupt their minds with pride and contempt of the rest of mankind, as if they * If ever fuch a plan as this was to take effect, the allowance must be more than 2501. now. Since the bishop wrote this, many years have elapfed, and every thing is greatly advanced; but fuppofing there was 400 1. allotted to each, ftill the expence is trifling. • King William committed the difpofal of ecclefiaftical preferments, folely to the queen, as the by living in the nation was better acquainted with the clergy and their merits. It is well known how many excellent perfons the preferred, during her short reign. were were made only to be the inftruments of their extravagancies, or the subject of their paffions and humours? No! they are exalted for the good of their fellow-creatures, in order to raise them to the truest fublimity, to become as like divinity as a mortal creature is capable of being. None will grudge them their great treasures and authority, when they fee it is all employed to make their people happy. None will envy their greatnefs, when they see it accompanied with a fuitable greatness of foul; whereas a magnified and flattered pageant foon will fall under univerfal contempt and hatred. There is not any one thing more certain and more evident, than that princes are made for the people, and not the people for them; and perhaps there is no nation under heaven, that is more entirely poffeffed with this true notion of princes, than the English nation is in this age; so that they will foon be uneafy to a prince who does not govern himself by this maxim, and in time grow very unkind to him. circuits, is to know what persons are, as it were, hid in the nation that are fit for employments, and deferve to be encou raged; of fuch, they ought to give an account to the lord chancellor, who ought to lay it before the throne. No crime ought to be pardoned, till the judge who gave fentence, is heard, to give an account of the evidence, with the circumftances of the fact, as it appeared on the trial. No regard ought to be had to stories that are told, to move compaffion; for in thefe little regard is had to truth: and an easinefs in pardoning is, in fome fort, an encouragement of crimes, and giving licence to commit them. But to run out no longer into particulars, the great and comprehensive rule of all is, that a king should consider himself, as exalted by providence into that high dignity, as into a capacity of doing much good, and of being a great blessing to mankind, and in fome fort a deity on earth and therefore as he expects that his minifters should study to advance his service, his interests, and his glory; and that, fo much the more, as he raises them to higher ports of favour and honour; fo he, whom God has raised to the greatest exaltation this world is capable of, fhould apply himfelf wholly to cares becoming his rank and station; to be in himself a pattern of virtue and true religion; to promote justice; to relieve and revenge the oppressed, and to feek out men of virtue and piety, and bring them into fuch degrees of confidence, as they may be capable of; to encourage a due and a generous freedom in their advices; to be ready to fee his own errors, that he may correct them, and to entertain every thing that is fuggefted to him for the good of his people, and for the be Great care ought to be taken in the momination of judges and bishops. I join thefe together; for law and religion, justice and piety, are the support of nations, and give strength and security to governments: judges must be recommended by thofe in the high posts of the law; but a prince may, by his own tafte and upon knowledge, choose his bishops. They ought to be men eminent for piety, learning, difcretion, and zeal: not broken with age, which will quickly render them incapable of ferving the church, to any good purpofe: a perfon fit to be a bishop at fixty, was fit at forty; and had then spirit and activity, with a strength both of body and mind. The vaft expence they are at in entering on their bishopricks, ought to benefit of mankind; and to make a differegulated no bishopricks can be in any good degree ferved under a thousand a year at least. The judges ought to be plentifully provided for, that they may be under no temptation, to fupply themfelves by indirect ways. One part of a prince's are, to be recommended to judges in their rence between thofe who court his favour for their own ends, who study to flatter, and by that to please him, often to his own ruin, and thofe who have great views and noble aims, who fet him on to pursue designs worthy of him, without mean or partial regards to any ends or The falaries of the judges were augmented a little before the death of his late majefty; and his prefent majefty has given an early teftimony of his defire to fee them made ftill more independent on the crown by his fpeech from the throne the 3d of March last, in which he says, he looks upon the independency and uprightness of the judges as effential to the impartial adminiftration of juftice, and one of the best securities to the rights and liberties of the subject. See the speech in the domeftic occurrences of chis month. interefle |