but this was given up by the ministers of it, and turned into oppofition: the love of truth only moved, or rather forced the attempt; for all were perfuaded or threatned to defift; and even the best and most faithful afferters of the caufe had fuch low hopes, that they were unwilling to begin, however zealous and strong when once engaged. The views of the oppofition you have fully seen. The characters and reafonings of our friends did, indeed, great honour to the cause. Their rank, independency, integrity and honourable defigns; their impartial regard to truth and right, where they could not be concerned in intereft; the arguments they ufed, drawn only from reafon, common juftice and publick good; unanswered and unopposed for want even of the fhadow of truth and force; greatly fupport the cause of liberty and efpecially when compared with the weighty and cunning reasonings of our enemies, founded upon the pretended neceffities of government; the danger of offending a very potent chriftian adversary by a juft and equal diftribution of common rights; the inconvenience of unfettling fo perfect a scheme of liberty as muft needs have been immediately recovered from a ftate of tyranny and flavery; (much like the purity of a reformation just come forth out of the darkeft ignorance and fuperftition;) the reasonable equivalent of a promifory affurance that no other rights and li : berties berties fhall be interrupted, for a refufal of common juftice and equity; juft as much to be depended upon as the unnatural promifes of an actual finner to become wonderfully righteous upon another occafion. These excellent principles, mixed up with fome artful fubtilty, and fome falfe profeffions, fome blundering paffion, and fome spiteful zeal, are the strength of the oppofition. WHAT return, now, fhould the lovers of liberty, Old Whigs and Confiftent Proteftants, make to these their fast friends, worthy patrons, and defenders, who might cafily have done them juftice by the least countenance? Why truly they have great reafon to thank them for their open declarations and undifguifed profeffions; to depend upon them fo far only as it is their intereft to ferve them; to unite in the glorious cause of liberty, that they may, one time or other, make them feel their real weight, and the need of their affiftance to fupport a free government. In the mean while, let them glo ry and rejoice in the prefent fuccefs of fo honeft an effort of virtue, and in the honourable defence of fo many able and hearty friends of true liberty; and particularly in the zeal and patronage of that truly honourable and experienced ADVOCATE, whofe unbiaffed judgment and tried integrity would have given the greatest weight to any caufe that he had approved; but in fuch a one as this, where the contention was only between truth truth and interest, can be reckoned no less than abfolute victory. THE proof of virtue is in faithful endeavours to promote truth and liberty; and the fuccefs of it upon earth confifts, not in the general prevalence of reafon and truth, which is not to be expected; but in its appearing with fuch native beauty and irresiftible force, as may encourage and support integrity, and utterly discountenance and condemn falfhood and vice under every pretence and difguife. I am, Dear Sir, Your fincerely, March 20, A. Z. I To the OLD WHIG. S I R, WAS lately in company with several gentlemen who took upon them to be defperately witty on the poor Quakers, on account of their late defeat refpecting the tythe-bill; and as they were perfons whose reverend appearance ought to command that regard which their behaviour bespoke them not quite unworthy of, I would (on their behalf) beg of you to give them this publick admonition, not to act too far out of their own characters, nor to make too free with the characters of others. For however idle and fcrupulous they may pretend to make the Quakers opinions appear, they want not men amongst them of abilities fufficient to offer very confiderable things in their vindication: though perhaps not to the fatisfaction of thofe men whofe interest 'tis to be blind themselves, that they may with the less remorse and reflection deceive, and spread an univerfal darkness over the judgments of mankind. AND further; that let things appear ever fo infignificant and trifling in the opinions of private men, the notice and examination of a british parliament lifts them above the ridicule of hafty and ill-judg'd reflections, and renders any attempt to fubject them to it, far beneath the dignity of good fenfe and good breeding. THE Quakers are men of like paffions, and are alike fubject to prejudices, as other men, and other focieties. And though I will not here pretend to determine how far they were right in the cafe before us, yet this I'll make bold to affert, and dare fay I fpeak their fentiments, that however reasonable an attempt of this kind might appear to them, they very willingly refolve all their own determinations into the wifdom of a government whom they believe to be their friends. A circumfpection worthy of the imitation of a certain fet of men amongst us, us, whofe conduct, refpecting the government, is fo is fo very analagous to the moft literal conftruction of the character the devil gave of Job, put forth thine hand, and touch what he hath, and he'll curfe thee to thy face. I am, Tour humble Servant, A Lover of Mankind. NUM B. LIII. Qua tu mercede deorum Emeris auriculas? Pulmone et lactibus unctis! Damus id fuperis de magna quod dare Lance Non poffit magni Meffala lippa propago? Compofitum-jus fafque animo, fanctofque receffus Mentis, et incoctum generofo pectus honefto. I To the OLD WHI G. SIR, T is an obfervation of Mr. Locke's, that there are thofe who take fo little care to lay by words which in their primary notation VOL II. |