NUMBER XXXVI. Thursday, April 12, 1711. Tres fpecies tam diffimiles, tria talia texta, Una dies dedit exitio Write this paper for the fake of the diffenters, whom I take to be the most fpreading branch of the whig party, that profeffeth chriftianity; and the only one that feems to be zealous for any particular fyftem of it; the bulk of thofe we call the low-church being generally indifferent and undetermined in that point; and the other fubdivifions having not yet taken either the Old or New Teftament into their fcheme. By the diffenters therefore it will cafily be understood that I mean the prefbyterians, as they include the fects of anabaptifts, independents, and others, which have been melted down into them fince the refloration. This fect, in order to make itself national, having gone fo far as to raise a rebellion, murder their king, deftroy monarchy and the church, was afterwards broken in pieces by its own di vifions; vifions; which made way for the king's return from his exile. However the zealous among them did ftill entertain hopes of recovering the dominion of grace; whereof I have read a remarkable paffage in a book published about the year 1661, and written by one of their own fide. As one of the regicides was going to his execution, a friend asked him, whether he thought the caufe, would revive? He answered, the cause is in the bosom of Chrift; and as fure as Chrift rofe from the dead, fo fure will the caufe revive alfo. And therefore the nonconformifts were ftrictly watched, and restrained by penal laws, during the reign of king Charles the fecond; the court and kingdom looking on them as a faction ready to join in any design against the government in church or state. And furely this was reafonable enough, while fo many continued alive who had voted, and fought, and preached against both, and gave no proof that they had changed their principles. The nonconformists were then exactly upon the fame foot with our nonjurors now, whom we double tax, forbid their conventicles, and keep under hatches, without thinking thinking ourselves poffeffed with a perfecuting fpirit; becaufe we know they want nothing but the power to ruin us. This, in my opinion, fhould altogether filence the diffenters complaints of perfecution under king Charles the fecond; or make them fhew us wherein they differed at that time, from what our jacobites are now. Their inclinations to the church were foon discovered, when king James the fecond fucceeded to the crown, with whom they unanimoufly joined in its ruin to revenge themselves for that reftraint, they had moft juftly fuffered in the foregoing reign, not from the perfecuting temper of the clergy, as their clamours would fuggeft, but the prudence and caution of the legiflature. The fame indulgence against law was made ufe of by them and the papists; and they amicably employed their power, as in defence of one common intercft. But the revolution happening foon after ferved to wash away the memory of the rebellion; upon which the run against popery was no doubt as juft and feafonable, as that of fanaticism after the restoration; and and the dread of popery being then our latest danger, and confequently the most fresh upon our fpirits, all mouths were open against that; the diffenters were rewarded with an indulgence by law; the rebellion and king's murder were now no longer a reproach; the former was only a civil war, and whoever durft call it a rebellion was a jacobite and friend to France. This was the more unexpected, because the revolution being wholly brought about by church of England hands, they hoped one good confequence of it would be the relieving us from the encroachments of diffenters, as well as thofe of papifts; fince both had equally confederated towards our ruin and therefore, when the crown was new fettled, it was hoped at least, that the reft of the conftitution would be reftored. But this affair took a very different turn : the diffenters had just made a shift to fave a tide, and join with the prince of Orange, when they found all was defperate with their protector king James; and obferving à party then forming against the old principles in church and state, under the name of whigs and low-churchmen, they lifted : them themselves of it, where they have ever fince continued. It is therefore, upon the foot they now are, that I would apply myself to them, and defire they would confider the different circumstances at present, from what they were under, when they began their designs against the church and monarchy about feventy years ago. At that juncture they made up the body of the party; and whofoever joined with them from principles of revenge, discontent, ambition, or love of change, were all forced to fhelter under their denomination; united heartily in the pretences of a further and purer reformation in religion, and of advancing the great work (as the cant was then) that God was about to do in thefe nations; received the fyftems of doctrine and discipline prescribed by the Scots, and readily took the covenant; fo that there appeared no divifion among them, till after the common enemy was fubdued. But now their cafe is quite otherwise; and I can hardly think it worth being of a party, upon the terms they have been received of late years. For suppose the whole |