It would be very unjuft, to charge all who have ranged themselves under this new Denomination, as if they had done it with a Design to favour the Interefts of Popery. But it is certain that many of them, who at their firft fetting out were most averse to the Doctrines of the Church of Rome, have by the Cunning of our Adverfaries been infpired with fuch an unreasonable Averfion to their Proteftant Brethren, and taught to think fo favourably of the Roman-Catholick Principles, (not to mention the Endeavours that have been used to reconcile the Doctrines of the two Churches, which are in themfelves as oppofite as Light and Darkness) that they have been drawn over infenfibly into its Interefts. It is no wonder therefore, that so many of these deluded Zealots have been engaged in a Cause which they at first abhorr'd, and have wifhed or acted for the Success of an Enterprise, that might have ended in the Extirpation of the Proteftant Religion in this King dom, and in all Europe. In fhort, they are like the Syrians, who were firft fmitten with Blindnefs, and unknowingly led out of their Way into the Capital of their Enemy's Country; infomuch, that the Text tells us, When they opened their Eyes, they found themselves in the midst of

Samaria.

Friday,

GOUTINGINGS

Νο 29 Friday, March 30, 1716.

Dis te minorem quòd geris, imperas.
Hinc omne principium, huc refer exitum.
Di multa neglecti dederunt

Hefperia mala luctuofa.

Hor. Od. 6. 1. 3. v. 5.

Propitious Heav'n, that rais'd your Fathers high,
For humble, grateful, Piety,
(As it rewarded their Refpe&t)
Hath sharply punish'd your Neglect:
All Empires on the Gods depend;

Begun by their Command, at their Command they end.

ROSCOMMON.

TH
Tof our Countrymen are, or ought to be em-

HIS being a Day in which the Thoughts

ployed on serious Subjects, I fhall take the Opportunity of that Difpofition of Mind in my Readers, to recommend to them the Practice of thofe religious and moral Virtues, without which all Policy is vain, and the best Cause deprived of its greatest Ornament and Support.

Common Sense, as well as the Experience of all Ages, teaches us, that no Government can flourish which doth not encourage and propagate Religion and Morality among all its particular Members. It was an Obfervation of the ancient Romans, that their Empire had not more increased by the Strength of their Arms, than by the Sanctity of their Manners: And Cicero, who feems to have been better verfed than any of them, both in the

Theory

Theory and the Practice of Politicks, makes it a Doubt whether it were poffible for a Community to exift that had not a prevailing Mixture of Piety in its Conftitution. Juftice, Temperance, Humility, and almost every other moral Virtue, do not only derive the Bleffings of Providence upon those who exercise them, but are the natural Means for acquiring the publick Profperity. Befides; religious Motives and Inftincts are fo bufy in the Heart of every reasonable Creature, that a Man who would hope to govern a Society, without any regard to thefe Principles, is as much to be contemned for his Folly, as to be detefted for his Impiety.

To this we may add, that the World is never "funk into fuch a State of Degeneracy, but they pay a natural Veneration to Men of Virtue; and rejoice to fee themselves conducted by those, who act under the Awe of a fupreme Being, and who think themselves accountable for all their Proceedings to the great Judge and Superintendent of Human Affairs.

1

Thofe of our Fellow-Subjects, who are fenfible of the Happiness they enjoy in His Majesty's Acceffion to the Throne, are obliged, by all the Duties of Gratitude, to adore that Providence which has fo fignally interpofed in our Behalf, by clearing a Way to the Proteftant Succeffion thro' fuch Difficulties as feemed infuperable'; by de-. tecting the Confpiracies which have been formed against it; and, by many wonderful Events, weakening the Hands and baffling the Attempts of all His Majefty's Enemies, both foreign and domestick.

The Party, who diftinguish themselves by their Zeal for the prefent Eftablishment, should be careful, in a particular manner, to discover in their

whole

whole Conduct fuch a Reverence for Religion, as may fhew how groundless that Reproach is, which is caft upon them by their Enemies, of being averfe to our national Worship. While others engrofs to themselves the Name of The Church, and, in a manner, excommunicate the best Part of their Fellow Subjects; let us fhew ourselves the genuine Sons of it, by practising the Doctrines which it teaches. The Advantage will be vifibly on our Side, if we stick to its Effentials; while they triumph in that empty Denomination which they beftow upon themfelves. Too many of them are already dipt in the Guilt of Perjury and Sedition; and as we remain unblemished in these Particulars, let us endeavour to excel them in all the other Parts of Religion, and we shall quickly find, that a regular Morality is, in its own Nature, more popular, as well as more meritorious, than an intemperate Zeal.

We have likewife, in the prefent Times of Confufion and Diforder, an Opportunity of fhewing our Abhorrence of feveral Principles which have been ascribed to us by the Malice of our Enemies. A Difaffection to Kings and Kingly Government, with a Proneness to Rebellion, have been often very unjustly charged on that Party which goes by the Name of Whigs. Our steady and continued Adherence to His Majesty, and the present happy Settlement, will the moft effectually confute this Calumny. Our Adverfaries, who know very well how odious CommonwealthPrinciples are to the English Nation, have inverted the very Senfe of Words and Things, rather than not continue to brand us with this imaginary Guilt: For with fome of these Men, at prefent, Loyalty to our King is Republicanism, and Rebellion Paffive-Obedience.

It has been an old Objection to the Principles of the Whigs, that feveral of their Leaders, who have been zealous for redreffing the Grievances of Government, have not behaved themselves better than the Tories in domeftick Scenes of Life: But at the fame time have been publick Patriots and private Oppreffors. This Objection, were it true, has no weight in it, fince the Misbehaviour of particular Perfons does not at all affect their Cause, and fince a Man may act laudably in fome Refpects who does not fo in others. However, it were to be wished, that Men would not give occafion even to fuch Invectives; but at the fame time they confult the Happiness of the Whole, that they would promote it to their utmost in all their private Dealings among those who lie more immediately within their Influence. In the mean while I muft obferve, that this Reproach, which may be often met with both in Print and Converfation, tends in reality to the Honour of the Whigs, as it fupposes that a greater Regard to Juftice and Humanity is to be expected from them than from those of the oppofite Party: And it is certain we cannot better recommend our Principles, than by fuch Actions as are their natural and genuine Fruits.

Were we thus careful to guard ourselves in a particular manner against these groundless Imputations of our Enemies, and to rife above them as much in our Morality as in our Politicks, our Caufe would be always as flourishing as it is just. It is certain, that our Notions have a more natural Tendency to fuch a Practice, as we efpouse the Proteftant Intereft in oppofition to that of Popery, which is fo far from advancing Morality by its Doctrines, that it has weakened, or entirely fubverted, many of the Duties even of Natural Religion.

I fhall