his Affembly, he affumes and affects an entire Set of very different Airs; he conceives himself a Being of a Superior Nature to those without, and acting in a Sphere where the Vulgar Methods for the Conduct of Human Life can be of no Ufe. He is lifted in a Party, where he neither knows the Temper, nor Defigns, nor perhaps the Perfon of his Leader; by whofe Opinions he follows and maintains with a Zeal and Faith as violent, as a young Scholar does thofe of a Philofopher, whofe Sect he is taught to profefs. He has neither Opinions, nor Thoughts, nor Actions, nor Talk that he can call his own, but by his Leader, as Wind is thro' an Organ. The Nourishment he receives has been not only chewed but digefted before it comes into his Mouth. Thus inftructed, he follows the Party right or wrong thro' all its Sentiments, and acquires a Courage and Stiffnefs of Opinion not at all congenial with

all conveyed to hi

him.

THIS encourages me to hope, that during this lucid Interval, the Members retired to their Homes may fufpend a while their acquired Complexions, and taught by the Calmness of the Scene and the Seafon, reafume the native Sedateness of their Temper. If this fhould be fo, it would be wife in them, as individual and private Mortals, to look back a little upon the Storms they have raised, as well as those they have efcaped: To reflect, that they have been Authors of a new and wonderful thing in England, which is for a Houfe of Commons to lofe the univerfal Fovour of the Numbers they reprefent. To obferve, how thofe, whom they thought fit to perfecute for Righteoufnefs

fake

fake, have been openly carefs'd by the peo ple; and to remember how themselves fate in fear of their Perfons from popular Rage. Now, if they would know the Secret of all this unprefidented Proceeding in their Mafters; they must not impute it to their freedom in Debate, or declaring their Opinions; but to that unparliamentary Abuse of fetting Individuals upon their Shoulders, who were hated by God and Man. For, it seems the Mafs of the People, in fuch Conjunctures as this, have opened their Eyes, and will not endure to be governed by Clodius and Curio, at the head of their Myrmidons, tho' thefe be ever, fo numerous, and compofed of their own Reprefentatives.

THIS Averfion of the People for the late Proceedings of the Commons, is an Accident, that if it laft a while might be improved to good Ufes for fetting the Ballance of Power a little more upon an Equality, than their late measures feem to promife or admit. This Accident may be imputed to Two Caufes. The Firft, is an univerfal Fear and Apprehenfion of the Greatnefs and Power of France, whereof the People in general feem to be very much and juftly poffefs'd, and therefore cannot but refent to fee it in fo critical a Juncture, wholly laid afide by their Minifters, the Commons. The other Caufe, is a great Love and Sense of Gratitude in the People towards their Prefent King, grounded upon a long Opinion and Experience of his Merit, as well as Conceffions to all their reasonable Defires; fo that it is for fome time they have begun to fay, and to fetch Inftances where he has in many things been hardly used. _How long these Hu

E 4

mours

mours may laft, (for Paffions are momentary and efpecially thofe of a Multitude) or what Confequences they may produce, a little time may difcover. But whenever it comes to pafs that a popular Affembly, free from fuch Qbftructions, and already poffefs'd of more Power, than an equal Ballance will allow, fhall conti nue to think they have not enough, but by cramping the Hand that holds the Ballance, and by Impeachments or Diffentions with the Nobles, endeavour ftill for more; I cannot poffibly fee, in the common courfe of things, how the fame Caufes can produce different Effects and Confequences among us from what they did in Greece and Rome.

FINIS.

THE

THE

Sentiments

OF A

| Church of England-Man

With Respect to

RELIGION and GOVERNMENT,

W

Written in the Year, 1708.

HOEVER has examined the Conduct and Proceedings of both Parties for fome Years paft, whether in or out of Power, cannot well conceive it poffible to go far towards the Extreams of either without offering fome Violence to his Integrity or Understanding. A Wife and a good Man may indeed be fometimes induced to comply with a Number whofe Opinion he generally approves, tho' it be perhaps against his own. But this Liberty fhould be made ufe of upon very few Occafions, and thofe of fmall Importance, and then only with a View of bringing over his own Side another Time to fomething of greater and more Publick Moment. But, to facrifice the Innocency of a Friend, the Good

of

of our Country, or our own Confcience to the Humour, or Paffion, or Intereft of a Party, plainly fhews that either our Heads or our Hearts are not as they fhould be. Yet this very Practice is the Fundamental Law of each Faction among us, as may be obvious to any who will Impartially and without Engagement be at the pains to examine their Actions, which however is not fo eafie a Tafk: For it seems a Principle in Human Nature, to incline one way more than another, even in matters where we are wholly unconcerned. And it is a common Obfervation, that in reading a Hiftory of Facts done a Thousand Years ago, or ftanding by a Play among those who are perfect Strangers to us, we are apt to find our Hopes and Wishes engaged on a fudden in favour of one fide more than another. No wonder then we are all fo ready to intereft our felves in the Courfe of Publick Affairs, where the most inconfiderable have fome real Share, and by the wonderful Importance which every Man is of to himself, a `very great Immagenary one.

AND indeed, when the Two Parties that divide the whole Common-wealth, come once to a Rupture, without any Hopes left of forming a Third with better Principles, to ballance the others; it seems every Man's Duty to chufe a Side, tho' he cannot entirely approve of either; And all Pretences to Neutrality are juftly Exploded by both, being too Stale and Obvious, only intending the Safety and Eafe of a few Individuals while the Publick is Embroiled. This was the Opinion and Practice of the latter Cato, whom I efteem to have been the wifeft and beft of all the Romans. But before