Things proceed to open Violence, the trueft Service à private Man may hope to do his Country, is by unbiaffing his Mind as much as poffible, and then endeavouring_to_moderate between the Rival Powers which muft needs be owned a fair Proceeding with the World, because it is of all others the leaft confiftent with the common Defign of making 2 Fortune by the Merit of an Opinion.

I have gone as far as I am able in qualifying my felf to be fuch a Moderator. I believe I am no Bigot in Religion, and I am fure I am none in Government. I converfe in full freedom with many confiderable Men of both Parties, and if not in equal Number, it is purely accidental and Perfonal, as happening to be near the Court, and to have made Acquaintance there, more under one Miniftry than another. Then, I am not under the Neceffity of declaring my felf by the Profpect of an Employment. And laftly, if all this be not fufficient, I induftrioufly conceal my Name, which wholly exempts me from any Hopes and, Fears in delivering my Opinion.

IN confequence of this free ufe of my Reason, I cannot poffibly think fo well or fo ill of either Party, as they would endeavour to perfwade the World of each other and of themselves. For inftance; I do not charge it upon the Body of the Whigs or the Tories, that their feveral Principles lead them to introduce Presbitery, and the Religion of the Church of Rome, or a Common-wealth and Arbitrary Power. For, why fhould any Party be accufed of a Principle, which they folemnly difown and protest againft; But, to this they have a mutual Answer ready; they both

affure

affure us, that their Adverfaries are not to be believed, that they difown their Principles out of fear, which are manifeft enough when we examine their Practices. To prove this they will produce Inftances, on one fide, either of avowed Presbyterians, or Perfons of Libertine and Atheistical Tenets; and on the other of profeffed Papifts, fuch as are openly in the Intereft of the Abdicated Family. Now, it is very natural for all fubordinate Sects and Denominations in a State, to fide with fome general Party, and to chufe that which they find to agree with themselves in fome general Principle. Thus at the Restoration, the Presbyterians, Anabaptifts, Independents, and other Sects, did all with very good Reafon unite and Sodder up their feveral Schemes to joyn against the Church, who, without regard to their Distinctions, treated them all as equal Adverfaries. Thus, our prefent Diffenters do very naturally clofe in with the Whigs, who profefs Moderation, declare they abhor all Thoughts of Perfecu tion, and think it hard that thofe, who differ only in a few Ceremonies and Speculations, fhould be denied the Privilege and Profit of Ser ving their Country in the Highest Employments of State. Thus the Atheifts, Libertines, Defpifers of Religion and Revelation in general, that is to fay, all thofe, who ufually pafs under the Name of Free-Thinkers, do properly joyn with the fame Body; because They likewife Preach up Moderation, and are not fo over nice to diftinguish between an unlimited Liberty of Confcience, and an unlimited Freedom of Opinion. Then on the other fide, the Profeft Firmnefs of the Tories for Epifco

pacy

pacy as an Apoftolical Inftitution: Their Averfion to thofe Sects who lye under the Reproach of having once deftroyed their Conftitution, and who they imagine by too indifcreet a Zeal for Reformation have defaced the Primitive Model of the Church: Next, their Veneration for Monarchical Government in the common Courfe of Succeffion, and their Hatred to Republican Schemes. Thefe, I fay, are Principles which not only the Nonjuring Zealots profefs, but even Papifts themselves fall readily in with. And every Extream here mentioned fings a general Scandal upon the whole Body, it pretends to adhere to.

BUT furely no Man whatfoever ought in Juftice or good Manners to be charged with Principles he actually difowns, unless his Practices do openly and without the leaft Room for Doubt, contradict his Profeffion: Not upon fmall Surmifes, or because he has the Mif fortune to have Ili Men fometimes agree with him in a few general Sentiments. However, tho' the Extreams of Whig and Tory feem with little Juftice to have drawn Religion into their Controverfies, wherein they have fmall Concern; yet they both have borrowed one leading Principle from the abufe of it; Which is, to have built their feveral Syftems of Political Faith, not upon Enquiries after Truth, but upon Oppofition to each other, upon injuri- ous Appellations, charging their Adverfaries with horrid Opinions, and then reproaching them for the want of Charity Et neuter falso.

In order to remove thefe Prejudices, I have thought nothing could be more effectual than to defcribe the Sentiments of a Church of En

gland

gland Man with refpect to Religion and Govern ment. This I fhall endeavour to do in such a manner as may be liable to the leaft Objection from either Party, and which I am confident would be affented to by great Numbers in both, if they were not mifled to thofe mutual Mifreprefentations, by fuch Motives as they would be afhamed to own.

I fhall begin with Religion.

AND here, tho' it makes an odd Sound, yet it is neceffary to fay, that whoever profeffeth himself a Member of the Church of England, ought to believe a God and his Providence, together with Revealed Religion, and the Divinity of Chrift. For befide thofe many Thousands, who (to speak in the Phrafe of Divines) do practically deny all this by the Immorality of their Lives; there is no fmall Number, who in their Converfation and Writings directly or by confequence endeavour to overthrow it; Yet all these place themselves in the Lift of the National Church, tho' at the fame time (as it is highly reasonable) they are great Sticklers for Liberty of Conscience.

To enter upon Particulars; A Church of England-Man has a true Veneration for the Scheme eftablished among us of Ecclefiaftick Government; and tho' he will not determine whether Epifcopacy be of Divine Right, he is fure it is moft agreeable to Primitive Inftitution, fitteft of all others for preferving Order and Parity, and under his prefent Regulations beft calculated for our Civil State: He fhould therefore think the Abolishment of that Order among us would prove a mighty Scandal and Corruption to our Faith, and manifeftly dangerous to our Monarchy;

nay

nay he would defend it by Arms against all the Powers on Earth, except our own Legiflature; in which Cafe he would fubmit as to a general Calamity, a Dirth, or a Pestilence.

As to Rights and Ceremonies, and Forms of Prayer; he allows there might be fome ufeful Alterations, and more, which in the Profpect of uniting Chriftians might be very fupportable, as things declared in their own nature indiffe rent; to which he therefore would readily comply, if the Clergy or (tho' this be not fo fair a Method) the Legislature fhould direct: Yet at the fame time he cannot altogether blame the Former for their unwillingness to confent to any Alteration; which befide the Trouble, and perhaps Difgrace, would certainly never produce the good Effects intended by it. The only condition that could make it prudent and juft for the Clergy to comply in altering the Ceremonial or any other indifferent Part, would be, a firm Refolution in the Legislature to interpofe by fome ftrict and effectual Laws to prevent the rifing and spreading of new Sects how plaufible foever for the fu ture; else they muft never be at an End; And it would be to act like a Man, who fhould pull down and change the Ornaments of his Houfe, in Compliance to every one that was difpofed to find fault as he paffed by; which befides the perpetual Trouble and Expence, would very much damage, and perhaps in time deftroy the Building. Sects in a State feem only tolerated with any Reafon because they are already fpread; and because it would not be agreeable with fo milda Government, or fo pure a Religion as ours, to use violent Me

thods