attempting to prevent it; all the blood which they fhall have fhed in attacking us, and all that we shall have spilt in our own defence. There is unquestionably a lofs to Great Britain, by the one fide of the account as well as the other; and it tends to fhow, in the cleareft manner, the unfpeakable folly, as well as great injustice, of the promoters of this war.

Thus I have stated to you, though very briefly, the principles on which I think the American cause ought to be pleaded, and on which it ought to be efpoufed and fupported, by every lover of justice and of mankind. But though the general plea in justice were less clear than it is, there is a light in which the conduct of the oppofers of it has always appeared to me unreafonable and ungenerous to the highest degree. That refiftance to Great-Britain has been determined on, in the most resolute manner, through all the colonies, by a vast majority, is not only certain, but undeniable. In the beginning of the controversy, fome writers, with an impudence hardly to be paralleled, called the fact in question, attempted to deceive the people in this country, and effectually deceived the people of England, by making them believe, that it was only a few factious and violent men that had engaged in the conteft. It is not very long fince a writer had the courage to affert, that, "nine tenths of the people of Pennfylvania were against independence." The falfehood of fuch mifreprefentations is now manifeft,

and

and indeed was probably known from the beginning, by thofe who defired to have them believed. Taking this for granted, then, for an inconfiderable minority, whether natives or ftrangers, to fet themselves in oppofition to the public councils, is contrary to reafon and justice, and even to the very firft principles of the focial life.

If there is any principle that was never contreverted upon the focial union, it is, that, as a body, every fociety must be determined by the plurality. There was a time when it was not only just and confiftent but neceffary, that every one fhould speak his mind freely and fully of the neceffity or expediency of refifting the authority of Great Britain but that time is over long ago. The measures being refolved upon, and the conflict begun, one who is barely neuter can scarce be forgiven; a fecret plodding enemy must be confidered as a traitor. Every perfon who continued among us after the decifive refolutions formed by all the colonies, ought to be confidered as pledging his faith and honour to affift in the common caufe. Let me try to illuftrate it by a fimilar cafe. Suppofe that a fhip at fea fprings a leak, which expofes the whole company to the most imminent danger of perishing. Suppofe a counsel is called of all the perfons on board to determine what port they fhall endeavour to gain. Then it is not only the right, but the duty of every one to speak his own judgment, and to prefs it upon others by every argument in hispowe

power. Suppofe a great majority determines to push for a certain place, and to go to the pump by turns every quarter of an hour; but that two, or three, or one, if you please, is of opinion that they should have gone another courfe, because of the wind, current, or any other circumftance, and that it would be beft to change hands at the pump only every half hour. All this is well. But if after the determination, this fame gentleman, because his advice was not followed, fhould refuse to pump at all, fhould flily alter the ship's course, or deaden her way by every means in his power, or even fhould only, by continual complaints and defpondent fears, difcourage others on whose activity the common fafety depended; I defire to know what treatment he would receive or deferve? Without doubt he would be thrown over board in lefs time than I have taken to state the cafe. I am not able to perceive the least difference between this fuppofition and what takes place in America at the present time.

If this argument is juft with respect to every inhabitant of the country, it ought to have some additional weight with thofe who are not natives, and whofe refidence is not certain, or has not been long. There is a great degree of indecency in fuch taking any part against what the majority of the inhabitants think to be their interest and that of their country, Were they even wrong, their mistake fhould be lamented, not refifted; en the contrary, it would be the part both of

ge

nerosity

nerosity and justice to fuppport them effectually in a contest which wisdom would have declined. We fee indeed every day melancholy inftances of a base and selfish temper operating different ways. Many when they do not obtain that rank and honour which their pride and partiality think their due, or if their advice is not followed, immediately renounce the service of their country, and it may go to destruction for them. In oppofition to this, let me recommend the example of the illuftrious Fabius of Rome. He had given ftrict orders to all his officers not to engage the enemy, but to keep at a distance. Unluckily his lieutenant-general, by his own rashness, got entangled with a part of the army under his command, and was engaged. Fabius, preferring his country's good to fame, rivalship, and safety, came immediately to his fupport with all expedition, and thereby gained a glorious and complete victory.

I hope you will take in good part the above reflections, which, I think, contain nothing that is virulent or indecent against any man or body of men. They are the effects of judgment and conviction. The Author, as is probably known to many of you, has been perfonally abused in newspapers at home for the part he was fuppofed to have taken in the American caufe, which was in fome degree indeed the motive to this address. He hopes that an honeft and faithful fupport of liberty and equal government in this part of the

world,

world, will be no just reproach to his character, either as a scholar, a minister, or a christian, and that it is perfectly confiftent with an undiminished regard for the country which gave him birth.

The above is fubmitted to your candid perufal, by Gentlemen,

Your fincere friend, and

Obedient humble fervant,

The AUTHOR.

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SERMON