General in the Day of Battle. The Obligations of the public Duty, or of private Opinion, will obtain no Quarter for you; for fuch is your Cafe, that you may with lefs Hazard of Reproach commit almost any Vice, than venture to be in the right without the Support of a Majority. This Evil is the more to be lamented, because its Infection spreads most easily among the best. Helvidius Prifcus lived in the Degeneracy of the Empire, but had all the Virtues of an old Roman; yet he was observed to be appetentior famæ, quando etiam fapientibus, as the Hiftorian remarks, cupido gloria novifima exuitur. But whatever may be faid in Excufe for this Paffion, in Matters which a willing Cafuist may perfuade himself to be indifferent; yet furely it is to be highly blamed, when the Profperity of our King, our Country, and our Religion are at Stake: in fuch a Time every Man fhould run the Hazard of being true to the Public, especially if he cannot defert it without being falfe to himself.

There is another Evil, not much unlike the former, though of a different Kind, which is owing alfo to our unhappy Divifions. If, on one Side, it may be sometimes

difficult

difficult for Men who have no ill Intention to the Public, to discharge their Duty to it; on the other, there will always be fome to rejoice when they do Wrong; though Zeal for the Government never produces a more prepofterous Effect, than when it makes Men take Pleasure in the Number, or in the Perverseness of its Enemies. Those who are fincerely and with any Judgment in the Intereft of the King, have nothing more to wish, than to see the Hearts of all his Majesty's Subjects united in Obedience and Affection to him; or, if that is not to be obtained, to see as many as can be. But there is a little Kind of Men, who mistaking their party Zeal for Affection to the Government, feem tranfported when those, whom they have been taught to think their Enemies, do by any Misbehaviour render themselves obnoxious to the prefent Powers: as they rejoice in fuch Misbehaviour, fo are they apt fometimes to provoke it, and think themfelves never better entitled to plead their own Merit, than when they have urged others to fuch Things, as a wife Man and a Friend to the Government would with all his Care have laboured to prevent.

Under these unhappy Circumstances there

is more Reafon to wifh, than there is Ground to hope, for Peace and Unanimity at Home. It is an eafy Matter for a few defigning Men to fill the People with great, and, at the fame Time, very unjuft Apprehenfions from their Governors; though his Majefty, in his great Wisdom and Goodness, took at the very Beginning the propereft Step to prevent this Mischief, by declaring that he would always make the Constitution in Church and State the Rule of his Adminiftration. As our Conftitution in Church has many Friends, fo to our great Misfortune has it fome Enemies; and as it cannot be diffembled, but that the Fears and Jealoufies on one side, so it will hardly be denied, but that the Hopes and Expectations on the other, have been very unreasonable. And confidering how People, in a State of Sufpicion, watch and obferve each other, how naturally the Fears of one increase by seeing the Hopes of the other, without knowing or enquiring what Ground or Foundation there is for them; it will be neceffary, in order to quiet the angry Spirit that is among us, to fupprefs thefe Hopes, as well as to allay thofe Fears and I pray God to reduce them both to their proper Bounds, that we

may

may all be content to obey on the fame Terms, on which his Majefty has affured us he is difpofed to govern.

But above all, let us take Care to justify ourselves in our Concern for our holy Religion, which is our beft Plea, and furest Pledge of divine Favour, by adorning in our Lives and Converfations the Doctrine which we profefs. We have with commendable Zeal, on many Occafions, ftood in Defence of our Religion, at the Expence of the Blood and Treasure of the Nation: let it not be obferved by our Enemies, that the Religion of England is a mere Watch-word for an Army, never valued but when it is to be fought for; and in Times of Peace laid by, condemned to ruft, with other the ufelefs Arms and Inftruments of War. Our Religion has domeftic, as well as foreign Enemies; we have seen with what an uncommon Zeal it has been attacked by Infidels profeffing not to introduce any religious Perfuafion, but to throw out all. These Men, who deride all Religion, will be found in the End to be the beft Agents for them who labour to bring in the worst: and the Intereft of our Country being fo united to the Cause of Religion, fuch profane Liberty

is destructive of our Security, fince every Heart, that is alienated from a Senfe of God and Religion, carries off with it a Pair of Hands from the Defence of the Public.

To a Zeal for true Religion let us add Charity, the Crown of all Virtues; and let us fanctify this Day of our Deliverance, by laying afide all Hatred, Malice, and Defire of Revenge; that we may with one Heart, and one Mind, glorify God for his Mercies, and implore his Protection for ourselves, our King, and our Country; that he would give us the Bleffings of Truth and Peace; that he would long preferve our Sovereign; and that there may never want a Proteftant Prince defcended from him, to go in and out before his People.