Befides, I leave it to their confideration, whether, with all their zeal against the church, they ought not to fhew a little decency; and how far it confifts with their reputation to act in concert with fuch confederates. It was reckoned a very infamous proceeding in the prefent moft chriftian king to affiit the Turk against the emperor: policy and reasons of ftate were not allowed fufficient excufes for taking part with an infidel against a believer. It is one of the diffenters quarrels against the church, that the is not enough reformed from popery yet they boldly entered into a league with papifts and a popish prince to deftroy her. They profefs much fanctity, and object against the wicked lives of fome of our members; yet they have been long, and still continue, in strict combination with libertines and atheifts to contrive our ruin. What if the Jews should multiply, and become a formidable party among us? Would the diffenters join in alliance with them likewife, because they agree already in fome general principles, and because the Jews are allowed to be a stiff-necked and rebellious people?

It is the part of wife men to conceal their paffions, when they are not in circumstances of exerting them to purpose: The arts of getting power, and preserving indulgence, are yery different. For the former, the reasonable hopes of the diffenters feem to be at an end; their comrades, the whigs and freethinkers, are just in a condition proper to be VOL. VIII. forfaken;

forfaken; and the parliament, as well as the body of the people, will be deluded no longer. Besides, it sometimes happens for a caufe to be exhausted and worn out, as that of the whigs in general feems at prefent to be: the nation had felt enough of it. It is as vain to hope restoring that decayed intereft, as for a man of fixty to talk of entering on a new fcene of life, that is only proper for youth and vigour. New circumstances and new men muft arife, as well as new occafions, which are not like to happen in our time. So that the diffenters have no game left at prefent, but to fecure their indulgence: in order to which, I will be fo bold to offer them fome advice.

First, That, until fome late proceedings are a little forgot, they would take care not to provoke, by any violence of tongue or pen, fo great a majority as there is now against them; nor keep up any longer that combination with their broken allies; but difperfe themselves, and lie dormant against fome better opportunity. I have shewn they could have got no advantage, if the late party had prevailed; and they will certainly lofe none by its fall, unless through their own fault. They pretend a mighty veneration for the QUEEN; let them give proof of it by quitting the ruined intereft of those who have nfed her fo ill; and by a due respect to the perfons fhe is pleased to truft at present with her affairs. When they can no longer hope to govern, when struggling can do them no

good,

good, and may poffibly hurt them; what is left, but to be filent and paffive?

Secondly, Although there be no law (befides that of God almighty) against occafional conformity, it would be prudence in the difJenters to use it as tenderly as they can: for, befides the infamous hypocrify of the thing itfelf, too frequent practice would perhaps make a remedy neceffary. And after all they have faid to justify themselves in this point, it still continues hard to conceive, how thofe confciences can pretend to be fcrupulous, upon which an employment hath more power than the love of unity.

ons,

In the laft place, I am humbly of opinion. that the diffenters would do well to drop that lefon they have learned from their directors, of affecting to be under horrible apprehenfithat the tories are in the intereft of the pretender, and would be ready to embrace the first opportunity of inviting him over. It is with the worst grace in the world that they offer to join in the cry upon this article: as if thofe, who alone ftood in the gap against all the encroachments of popery and arbitrary power, are not more likely to keep out both than a fett of schismaticks, who, to gratify their ambition and revenge, did, by the meaneft compliances, encourage and spirit up that unfortunate prince to fall upon fuch measures, as muft at last have ended in the ruin of our liberty and religion.

P. S. I wish thofe, who give themselves the tronble to write to the Examiner, would confider what they fend be proper for fuch a paper to take notice of. I had one letter last week, written, as I fuppofe, by a di vine, to defire I would offer fome reasons against a bill now before the parliament for afcertaining the tythe of hops; from which the writer apprehends great damage to the clergy, especially the poorer vicars. If it be as he fays (and he feems to argue very reafonably upon it) the convocation now fitting will, no doubt, upon due application, reprefent the matter to the houfe of commons, and he may expect all justice and favour from that great body, who have already appeared fo tender of their rights.

A gentleman likewife, who hath fent me feveral letters relating to perfonal hardships he received from fome of the late ministry, is advised to publish a narrative of them. they being too large, and not proper for this paper.

NUM

NUMBER XXXVII.

Thursday, April 19, 1711.

Semper caufae eventorum magis movent quam ipfa eventa.

I

AM glad to obferve that feveral, among the whigs, have begun very much to change their language of late. The ftyle is now, among the reasonable part of them, when they meet a man in business, or a member of parliament; Well, gentlemen, if you go on as you bave hitherto done, we shall no longer have any pretence to complain. They find, it feems, that there have been yet no overtures made to bring in the pretender, nor any preparatory steps towards it. They read no enflaving votes, nor bills brought in to endanger the fubject. The indulgence to fcrupulous confciences is again confirmed from the throne, inviolably preferved, and not the leaft whifper offered that may affect it. All care is taken to fupport the war; fupplies chearfully granted, and funds readily fubfcribed to, in fpite of the little arts made ufe of to difcredit them. The juft refentments of fome, which are laudable in themselves, and which, at another juncture, it might be proper to give way to, have been foftened or diverted by the calmness of others. So that, upon the article of prefent management, I do not fee how

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