Page images
PDF
EPUB

it. The many Kingdoms and Countries. weakened or ruined by inteftine Divifions, are fo many Proofs upon Record of the Truth of this Affertion. And did we of this Country want to have this Truth cleared by fuch Inftances, it would be but reasonable to produce the Proofs. But we have Examples of our own Growth, and stand in Need of no Affiftance from foreign Hiftory. This Island has often changed its Inhabitants; but the new ones never got Poffeffion till the old ones made Way for them, by their mutual Hatred and Animofities; and the Nation has, under very unpromifing Circumftances, maintained itself against foreign Enemies, whenever it was fo happy as to preserve Peace and Tranquillity at Home.

The late unhappy Times of Charles the First were attended with this almoft peculiar Felicity, that no foreign Nation was at Leifure to take Advantage of our Divifions. Europe was in Arms; and the great Powers too much in Awe of each other, for any one to conceive Hopes of Succefs, had his Ambition inclined him to lay hold of the Opportunities, which our Diftractions offered.

But

But though there was no Enemy to ruin us, yet ruined we were. Such is the Malignity of inteftine Divifion!

When national Quarrels grow extreme, and appear in Arms, it is easy to foresee the fad Confequences; and the coldeft Imagination may be able to paint to itself the Miferies that muft follow. And whoever looks back upon the many Years of Distress, under which this Country laboured in the late Times; let him view them with impartial, or with partial Eye; will fee enough to convince his Judgment, how fatal a Thing it is for a Kingdom to be divided against itself. It will therefore be of little Ufe to enlarge on this Part of the Argument; and I the more willingly pass it over, as it will fave you and me the Pain of viewing various Scenes of Woe, which that Time, fruitful in Mifery, would prefent before us.

But there are other Evils, lefs difcernible, which fpring from the fame bitter Root, and naturally prepare the Way for the greater Mischiefs to follow after: they are the first Symptoms of public Confufion; and as they influence greatly the Virtue and Morality of a Nation, they are in a more efpecial Manner the Preacher's Care. Q2

Nationa

National Divifions are fometimes founded in material Differences, fuch as affect the Well-being and Conftitution of a Government; and fometimes owe their Rife to Accidents, and Trifles unworthy of the Concern of the Public. In this respect therefore every Cafe must stand on its own Bottom, and is fubject to no general Observation. But all Divifions, how different foever in their Commencement, grow in their Progress to be so much alike; partly from the common Depravity of Men, who have not Virtue enough to act honestly in an honest Cause; partly from the Cunning of defigning Men, who feldom want the Art to direct the public Difpute to the Service of their private Views; that there are evil Effects which may be generally afcribed to all Divifions, as the Fruit which they naturally produce.

1. The Zeal and Warmth which attend public Quarrels, are apt to get Poffeffion of Men's Minds and Affections fo far, as to render them in great Measure unable to form a right Judgment of Things and Perfons.

Without a right Judgment in these refpects, it is impoffible for Men to be of any Service to their Country. For a Foundation

for

for public Good can never be laid in a wrong Judgment of Things and Persons. And yet, when Contentions run high, fo hard is it, even for the coolest Heads, to form right Judgments, that it is hardly poffible for them to get right Information in any Thing: the very Language of the Country is perverted by the Zeal of Parties; Honour and Honefty are Words which lose their natural Meaning, and become merely relative to the Notions of him who uses them; and when a Perfon is reprefented to us under these fair and engaging Characters, nothing can be certainly concluded, but that the Man fo highly praised, and his Orator, are both of a Side.

With as little Juftice are Terms of Reproach dealt about, though commonly with a more liberal Hand, as the Refentments of Anger and Contempt are ufually keener and more active, than those of Love and Efteem. Men of Difcernment on all Sides fee the Folly and Iniquity of this Practice; yet they carry on the Work, without giving Credit to themselves, for the fake of the Multitude, who are greatly influenced, and often prepared for Mischief, by these Devices. If we look into the large Lift of Malignants, Delinquents,

Q3

linquents, and Perfons fufpected, or perhaps without Sufpicion, charged as Papifts, in the late Times, we fhall find among them fome of the wifeft and beft of the Nation; who, could they have had the Influence in public Affairs, which their Worth and Merit entitled them to, would have faved both their King and their Country from Oppreffion. But thefe Men were made useless: and in like Circumftances the beft Men will always be fo; for it must ever be their Choice rather to fink under fuch Artifices, than to thrive by the Ufe of them; and the Times leave them no other Choice.

As it is with Perfons, fo it is with Things. To see how obftinately and perverfely Men approve or disapprove almost every Thing by the vitiated Tafte of Party, one would think that Truth and Reafon had left the World, or that Men were universally fallen blind. But neither have Truth and Reason left the World, nor are Men otherwife than

wilfully blind. But when the Appeal is made, as in popular Cafes it is, to the Multitude, the Leaders find it much easier to direct their Paffions, than their Understandings. And what Reason is there to expect, that Men should take the Direction of their

own

« PreviousContinue »