final domination of the power that prevailed?

How far we of this land are from fuch a crifis, or how near to it, cannot, I apprehend, be determined with any degree of precifion. One party indeed will confidently affure you, that it is juft at hand: the other will affure you as confidently, that it is at a great diftance, or rather that it will never arrive. One party will peremptorily pronounce, that there is neither virtue nor difcernment, neither honour nor capacity, nor any good thing whatsoever, in those who efpoufe the other; as they, in their turn, fcruple not to retaliate in the fame ftyle, and with the fame vehe

mence.

That vulgarity, ignorance, and malignity, should behave in this manner, cannot appear wonderful. But is it not astonishing, that perfons who difcover breeding, fenfe, and good-nature, on other fubjects

and occafions, fhould often lofe all command of themselves here, and, as if they were feized with a fort of delirium, the moment that politics are mentioned, break forth into bitterness, and clamour, and "evil-fpeaking, and all uncharitable"nefs?" Is it not astonishing, that fuch perfons will allow to none the fame right of private judgement which they claim to themselves, and act as if they imagined all were obliged, under the penalty of I know not what anathemas, to think ex-' actly as they think on every question of this kind, though connected with a science fo extenfive, so complicated, and in many particulars fo abftrufe? For God's fake let us, my friends, practise more modesty and candour.

More modefty and candour will be practifed by that youth, who is careful to keep alive, in his own mind, a tender and uni- · form fpirit of true religion; for this will teach him meeknefs, moderation, forbearance with others, and diffidence in him

felf: it will teach him caution " not

to judge, that he be not judged;" a readiness to put the faireft interpretation poffible on the words and actions of other men, and to hope the best concerning their aims and principles, fo long as their lives are unexceptionable, with regard to the effential rules of probity: it will teach him to employ his chief attention upon his own character, and the regulation of the little kingdom within.What will be the confequence? Tranquillity, tranquillity in his own breaft, a happy freedom from thofe angry paffions, thofe ungenerous fufpicions, thofe peevish and hafty humours, which no one that harbours them, in whatever cafe, can find pleasant, which in difturbing the peace of fociety, disturb a man's own, which fometimes alienate, the members of the fame family from each other on the point before us, and always impair the kind affections, and sweet sympathies, that were ordained to be the support and confolation of focial life.

Will the perfon then I am defcribing, fuffer no uneafinefs in the midst of fo much din and difcord? Far otherwife. They cannot but appear matter of deep concern to every Son of the Wildom "that is from above." A peaceable and gentle temper can never be reconciled to rage or invective; and every man of a liberal mind, the natural refult of a genuine and well-informed piety, will experience, at times, much folicitude for the nation; not merely on his own account, or that of his immediate connexions, as forming a part of it, but from a regard to the great interefts of religion, of human nature, and of future generations. It will affect him very fincerely, when he hears the blackeft accufations, on either fide, prompted by malice, by felfishness, or by wantonnefs, without a single sentiment of genuine zeal for virtue, or public good, though these indeed are made the fole pre-text; when he fees the meaneft flavery to vice among multitudes loud in the cry of Liberty; when, befide the many who have

done their utmoft to bring even the exiftence of patriotism into question, by confenting, for the fake of places and emoluments, to defend the very measures they had before condemned, he fees others expofing to scandal that once honoured, and, wherever it is genuine, ftill honourable character, by appearing to confound it with an uniform and indifcriminate oppofition to government on all occafions, as the party may require; when he fees numbers felling themfelves to a minifter fore all fervices, which he may demand

what fhall we fay more?when he sees promotion, opulence, and pleasure, preferred to every thing on earth or in Hea-: ven, frequently without the least appear-: ance of refpect for the laws of either.

As to himself, he is not ignorant that his system will be equally reprobated on both hands. His moderation and impartiality will be conftrued into coldness. It is well if his approving of no extreme on any subject, be not imputed to want of