Court, that it had the Art of railing Mole hills
mco Mountains, and cf linking Mountains in-
to Mole-hilts ; of disbanding Armies without
breaking them, of encre^frng Debts by chs.
Mean*
84 C A T O's L E T T E R S.
Means of paying them ; of being engaged in
an expenfive War during a profound Peace ;
of gaining for the Country at a vaft Charge,
Advantages which the Country never reaped,
nor faw ; of employing Money obvioufly a-
gainft the Intereft of that Nation, and yet-
getting the Nation to pay k ; of purchafing
other Countries at the Expence of their own,
and againft its Intereft , of procuring from the
Country at one Time a great Sum, without
telling why it was wanted, but promifing to
rell, and yet never telling; and in fine, after
many other the like Feats, of obtaining ^by an
Arret of Security, Remiilion for all their paft
Faults, without owning any, and yet going orv
co commit more : For as Tidly well obierves,
Qni (emel verecundL-e fines tranfarit^ fimi bene &
naviter oportet effe hnpudenttm. Cicer. Epifl, ad
Lucceium Quinti Fil.
But thefe Things concern not us ; and I
only bring them for Examples, like other old
Stones of Greece and Upme. I hope we (hall .
never fall into the like Misfortunes and
managements our felves.
I am,
SIR,
MAchiavel tells us, that it is rare to find out
a Man perfectly Good or perfectly Bad ;
Men generally fwim between the two Extremes
3>id fcarce any Mau is as good as he hiirJclf,
his
's LETTERS.
his Friends, or his Party make him ; or as bad
as he is reprefented by his perfonal or party
Enemies. Ask a Whig the Chara&er of a
neighbouring Tory, and he represents him as a
Jacobite, an Enemy to publick Liberty, and a
Perfecutor ; and on the other Side, if you
enquire the Other's Character from his Tory
Godfather out of Baptifm, he (hall pafs for a
Commonwealth's-Man, an Enemy to all forts
of Monarchy, and an Encourager of all Kinds
of Licentioufhefs and Fa6Hon ; whereas an in-
different Man, converfing with each of them,
fhall find both aim at the fame Thing, and
their Oppofition to proceed only from not con-
verfing together, from an Intention to thwart
one another, or from the Intrigues of thofe
who reap Advantage by letting them together
by the Ears, 'Tis too great a Compliment to
pay to our Adverfaries, to fiippofe them to acl:
upon a miftaken Principle againft their real
Intereft , and 'tis certainly the Intereit of every
Man to be free from Oppreflion, and he will
joyn in Meafures to be fb, if he is not terrified 5
by the Fear of greater Oppreilion: It is un-
doubtedly true, that there are many Jacobites irr
England ; but 'tis thinking better of them than
they deferve, if we believe they will be fo a-
gainft their ownlnterefts; and therefore, except-
ing the very Few, who can hope to receive the
Advantages of fuch a Revolution, therefl may
be converted by (hewing them that they can
find better Protection and Security from the
prefent EftabliChment, than by hazarding their
Lives and Eftates, and their Country's Happi-
nefs, in. bringing their Defigns to- pafs. The
only
CA TO's LETTERS.
only dangerous Jacobites I ever feared, were
thofe who took the fame Methods to keep cue
the Son, as turned out the Father.
Whilit Men enjoy Protection, Plenty, and
Happinefs, they will always defire to continue
them, and never look after Revolutions ; but
when they lofe, or fancy they lofe, thofe
Advantages, which they ever will think they
have a Right to enjoy, they will endeavour to
change their Condition, tho' in the Attempt
they often change it for the worfe ; therefore,
whoever would endeavour to preferve a prefent
Eftablifhmenr, miift make the People eafy and-
contented under it, and to find their own Ac-
count in the Continuance of it : The Inflru-
inents of Tyranny (of which I hope we (hall
never have any amongft us) are never to be
depended upon in any Exigency ; they will al-
ways be able to fhift for themfelves, arid know-
how to make an Intereft with a new Govern-
ment, by betraying the old ; which was the
Cafe of the late King James, and will ever be
the Cafe of others in the like Circumftances.
Every Man therefore, who is fincerely and
heartily attached to the Interefl: of his prelent
Majefty, will endeavour to cheriih, cultivate,
and make a proper life of his excellent Difpo-
fitions to protecl and make his People happy,
and to preferve our Conftitution in Church and
State upon its true and fblid Balis, Old Land-
Marks are never to be removed, without produ-
cing Contefts and Law-Suits, which for the mod:
part ruin both Parties. We have an excellent
Conduction at prefent ; and if not the beft which
can be formed in a Vt^lnn Commonwealth,
LETTERS.
yet I doubt the beft we' are capable of receiv-
ing. The prefent Diftribution^ of ^ Property
renders us incapable of changing it for the
better ; and probably any Attempt to change it
for the better, would conclude in an Abfolute
Monarchy. There are fo many Jntereils en-
gaged to fupport if, that whoever gets Power
enough to deftroy thefe Interefts, will have
Power enough to fet uphimfelf, as Oliver Crom-
well did, and every one elfe will do in the fame
Circumftances, or at leaft no wife Man will
truft to his Moderation.
No Man of Senfe and Fortune will venture
the Happinefs he is in full Pofleifion of for
imaginary Vilions, and throw the Dice for his
own Eftare : Such defperate Gamefters carry
their Whole about them, and their future Ex-
pe&ations depend upon Confuiion, and the
Mifery of others ; but fuch as have much to
fear, and little to hope for, will acquiefce in
their prefent Condition. This being the true
Circumftance of the Nobility, Clergy, Gentry,
rich Merchants, and the Body of the People,
hope they will concur in fuch Meafures as will'
moll: effectually preferve our prefent Eftablifh-
ment, and fupport the juft Rights of the
Crown, and the Liberties of the People, op-
pofe all Ufurpations on either Side, and endea-
vour, in the moil exemplary Manner, topuniih
all who fhall dare to interpofe between the
Throne and the Subject, and fpoil the Harmo-
ny which alone can make them both happy.
This is the Intereft of all Parries, and of
every Man in them, (very few excepted in re-
ipe& of the reft, who make their Market of
the
CA TO's LETTERS.
the others Differences ) I could never yet fee a?
juft Bone of Contention between them. It can
be of no Confluence to either Party, if they
are governed well, whether a Man of one De-
nomination or another governs them ; and if
they are oppreffed, it is no Confolation, that
it is done by one whom they formerly called a
Friend ; whereas if they would rgree together,
no one durft opprefs ?hem. Thofe who are
called Whig*) have no Intention to injure the
Legal Eftablifbment of the Church ; and Seven
Years Experience, when they have had the
whole Power in their Hands, may convince
any orre they did not intend it; and the Tories
tell us, they defire no more than that Eftsbiifh-
ment, and have no Thoughts of breaking in
upon the Acl: of Toleration, which is the Right
of all Mankind. The Whigs can have no
Motive to do the One, nor the Tories the Other,
when Party Oppofinon is laid afrde ; for how
is a Wing injured by another'^ receiving Ad-
vantages which he has no Right to, and receives
no Prejudice by, but may receive Benefit from,
by providing for his- Children, Relations, or
Friends ? And how is a Tory- injured in a quiet
Neighbour's worfhippiag God his own Way,
any more than if he did not worfhip him at all,
which is the Cafe of Thoufands who are un-
molefted ? The DiftindHons about Govern-
ment are at an end : Mod of the Tories are
afhamed of their old Arbitrary Principles- ; and
many of the Modern Whigs ought to be afha-
med of taking them up and indeed they have
no Right to reproach one another with either
Practices or Principles, for both have (hewn
their
CATffs LETTERS.
their wrong Ends in their Turns ; and they
have brought Matters at laft to that pafs, that
whilft they have been throwing the Dice for
Vi&ory, Sharpers have been drawing the
Stakes.
Indeed, I can't fee what we differ about :
We fight at BlindmanVBuff, and fall upon our
Friends as well as Enemies : All the Grounds-
of DI{lin6Mon are now at an end, and the
honeft and wife Men of all Parties mean the
fame Thing, and ought to lay afide and for-
get the old Names, and become one Party for
Liberty, before that Name is forgotten too ;
it is yet in our Power to fave our felves. We
are fure we have a Prince, who has every Di
portion to help us, if we lend our own AfLfl:-
ance, and fhew him the Means of doing it;
and we are anfwerable to God, our Country,
and our felves, if we do not ufe our own En-
deavours. The Means are eafy, obvious, and
legal ; and the Motives as ftrong as ever did,
or ever can, happen in any Circumftance of
humane Affairs. It is no lefs than the Safety
and Prefervation of the bed King, and thebeft
I Conflitution upon Earth, and indeed of almoft
the only People among!! whom there are any
Remains of Liberty, Knowledge, or true Re-
ligion ; all which depends upon the fteady,
loyal and uniform Proceedings of the next
Parliament.
For my own Part, I have no Quarrel^ to
Names or Perfons, and would join in any ]uft
Meafures, or with any Party, to fave the King-
dom ; and will oppofe, to the utmoft of my
Power, all who will not ; and I believe there
are
90 CATffs LETTERS.
are Thoufands of the fame Sentiments ; and
methinks Great Men fhould accept fo favour-
able a Difpofition to forger the Mifchiefs which
Ambition, Covetoufnefs, or Inadvertency have
brought upon us. We will not look with
Eagles Eyes into pad Faults, provided a proper
Atonement is made by future Services; nor
envy particular Mens_growing rich, if they will
let the Publick thrive with them ; and 'tis cer-
tainly iafer, and more creditable, to do fb by
the Confent of their Countrymen, than by
confront Struggles, Broils, and Contention to
overcome popular Opposition which muft get
the better at laft, or their Country, and proba-
bly they themfelves. mull be buried in it.
England is yet in a Condition to make the
Fortunes of a few Men, if they are not in too
much hafle to rna!-; hem ; and will content,
or connive at t doing fo, if they deferve
well in other Refp^cis. There are many ufe-
lefs, and yet provable Employments in Eng-
land, and few Men are concerned how they are
difpofed of; whether to Lords Valets, or whe-
ther ihf-y are the Perquisites of foreign or do-
mefHck Favourites^ provided the Offices which
regard the Admmiftraticn of Juflice, of the
State, Ch'irch, or Revenue, are properly be-
flowed. Thole who have the Fortune to get
into the higheft Stations, will expect to raiie
fuirable Eftates, efpecially when they have in a
great meafure the Means in their Hands of
making them, and the Power of carving for
therafelves ; and all but Rivals will compound
for their doing it by fuch Ways as are confident
with the publick Benefit, or fuch as the Publick
does;
LETTERS. 91
does not fuffer much by ; and I doubt the legal
Advantages belonging to few Offices in Eng-
UnJ, will anfwer the Expectations of Men in
the firft Station.
It is often urged, That Princes mull be lerved
upon their own Terms, and their Servants muft
fometimes comply againft their Inclinations, to
prevent greater Miichiefs; which I believe is
rarely the Cafe. I confefs, Princes ought and
muft be always treated with Tendernefs and
Delicacy, and Regard muft be had to their
Opinions or Prejudices ; but it is fo much their
Intereft to be honoured and beloved by their
People, (who from a thoufand Motives will be
always ready to make them perfbnally eafy,
and to gratify even their wanton Defires, when
they are not abfolute.ly deftru&ive to them-
felvcs) that there is much lefs Addrefs and Ma-
nagement necctfary to fliew them their real In-
tereft, and bring them into it, than to engage
them in Defigns which will ever produce Dif-
affeftion and Danger; and 'tis certainly the
Intereft of their Minifters and Servants, rather
to let themfelves at the Head of publick Bene-
volences, and receive the Thanks and Applaufe
due to fuch Benefits, than to have them ex-
torted from them always with general Curies
and Deteftation, and often with perfonal
Hazard,
j am, etc.
9^ CATO's LETTERS.
s r
IHave, In my laft Letter, /aid, that no wife
Man will remove ancient Land-Merles ;.
and for the imaginary Profper. of enjoying
fbmething he does not enjoy, and has a Mind
to enjoy, run the^ Hazard of lofing what he is
already in Poffeilion of. Thofe who have no-
thing to lofe, can lofe nothing by thefe Feats
of Knight- Errantry :, but thofe that have, are
leldpm Gainers by them. I confidered this
Subject in that Paper, as it regarded the State ;
and I (hall do inhere with relation to our Church
Differences The Conilitution of our Church
is excellently well adapted to our Civil Govern-
ment. The Rifliops anftver to the Lords, and
the inferior Clergy to the Commons in the State,
and ^all are iiibje& to the leg'flative Power
mediately, and immed : atedly to the Crown.
The King h?s the Power of creating the chief
Eccleliaftical Officers, as he has of creating the
Civil ; and they both receive their Beings and
Exigence fr..-n him ; and confequently they
mini: ever be in the Inrereft of Monarchy, and
the Monarch mull: ever be in the Intereft of
an Eftablifhment, from which he derives fb
much Power. The Nobility and Gentry too,
whoie Birth, Character and Fortunes always
give them the Means of eafy Accef? to the
Throne, mufl be eqnaily in the fame Intereft;
for as no Man can fuffer by another's enjoying
Poffe
CATO's LETTERS. 93
Pofle/Hons which he has no Right or Pretence
to, fo they will (hare largely in thefe Pofle
fions, by having more frequent and better Op-
portunities than their Fellow-Subjects, oF pre-
ferring their Children, Relations, Friends, and
Dependents ; not to mention what Prefenta-
tions they have in rheir own Power. Indeed,
every Man, of any Condition, has an Intereft
in them, as he has a Chance of (hanng Pre-
ferments himfelf, or getting them for his Fa-
mily ; and therefore it is wild to fear that any
Intereft in England can (hake an Ettablifhment
which fo many Interefts muft concur to fup-
port, unlefs thofe who are in Poflelfion of its
Advantages fhould, by endeavouring to take
away from^others their Rights, force them to
make Reprisals, and to do what, I dare fay,
no Man in England now intends, and but few
defire.
I have wondered, therefore, to hear fome
Men of good Underftanding and unqueftion*
able Integrity, apprehend any Danger to the
legal Conftirution of the Church, and cannot
guefs from what Quarter they can fear it. The
mdepcndentSi AnatMptifts, and Quakers, are no
Candidates for Ecclefiaftical Power, but are
by Principle againfi all Church Eftahlifhments
amongft themfelves. The Quakers have no
Clergy at all ; and the Two former allow their
Minifters no Superiority above the reft of their
Congregations , and tis certain, all of them
have much more favourable Opinions of the
National Clergy, than of the Presbyterians, (the
only Rivals for Church- Power) from whom
they apprehend, and have always found, much
worfe
94 Giro's LETTERS.
worfe Ufage than from the Church. They
defire nothing but Liberty of Conference, and
do not envy others Preferments, which they
cannot enjoy therofelves. 'Tis true, the Pref-
fyteriant are Candidates for Church-Dominion ;
and withour doubt their Priefts have Hawk s
Eyes at the Church Preferments, and with ot-
ten for them, if Wiflies would get them ; but
what Facility, or, indeed, Poffibilhy have they
of obtaining them ? They are an inconfider-
able Body as to their Number ; and as to their
Figure, lefs ; and as they grow rich, and leave
-Eftates behind them, their Sons (for the moil
part) defert their Congregations and Intereit :
Befides, they are divided now into Two Par-
ties, vi%. the Subfcribers, and Nonfubfcribers}
the 'latter of which, much the moft confider-
able for Fortune and Undemanding, are come,
for the mod part, into the Principles of general
Liberty and Independency, nor will ever trull
their Clergy with the Power they pretend to,
and which they claim from Scripture and by
Degrees, many of thefe, in all probability, will
come into the Church.
No Prince can ever be in the Intereit pt
Presbytery ; and I believe there never was one
in the World, who was a true Presbyterian ;
for as that Government is purely Democratleatf
lb it is calculated only for a popular State ;
and in Fad, fublifts no where elfe in the
World, unlefs in Scotland, where there have
been frequent Struggles between the Crown
and them. King James the Firft was fo plagu'd
with them, that he was vifibly partial to the
?*?ift* agairift them : Charles the Firft, by Vi-
olence,
's LETTERS.
olence, deftroyed their Eftablifhment ; and
King Charles the Second, though called in by
them, and fupported by them againft his Par-
liament, yet immediately turned upon them :
For though they would have been glad to have
had a King ^ modelled to ferve their Purpofes,
yet that King had more Wit than to have
them. For the fame Renfbns, the Nobility
and Gentry, of few Countries, who by their
Births, Fortunes, and near Accefs to the
Throne, ^claim and enjoy a Diftin6Hon above
the inferior Rank of Mankind, can never be
heartily in the Intereft of that Sort of Govern-
ment ; and 'tis certain, that many of the No-
bility and Gentry in Scotland, have never been
favourable to it. And this is true, and per-
haps the chief Reafon why fo many of them
now are Jaccbitss.
The Presbyterian Clergy claim a Right from
Scripture, to be independent of the Civil Pow-
er in all Things which relate to Spirituals, of
which they pretend to be Judges ; and in Facr,
their Synods in Scotland, whatever they do now,
formerly did not allow the Crown Power to
adjourn or difiblve them, though they were
forced to fubmit to it and I am told, at pre-
fent, they always adjourn by their own Au-
thority, though they take efpecial Care it [hall
be to the fame Time the Crown appoints -,
which (till keeps up their Claim againft a pro-
per Occafion. I do not avouch the Truth of
this, and hope it is not .true Now Vis certain,
the Nobility and Gentry of England, who have
actually the Power of governing their Clergy,
will never be governed by them, whatever V<-
fions
9 6 OTTO'S LETTERS.
fions weak Men of any Denomination may
flatter themfelves with, nor will ever fubmit to
the Preshyten'an Difcipline, and to let Monks
and Cy nicks govern their Families, turn the
Heads of their Wives, Children, and Servants,
and control their own Actions. Nor will the
other Se&anes, as has been faid, who are al-
ready potfefled of a free Liberty of Confcience,
endeavour to pur Power in the Hands of thofe
who will be fure to take it away, as they did
in New England, though they went there to get
h for themfelves. So that toe Danger of fet-
tling Presbytery in England, is a mere Chimera ;
and when by the Chance of a long Civil War,
they were actually got in Poffeiiion of a Power,
wh f h during the Continuance of it they dif-
cl limed, they could not hold it even for a few
Years.
^he only Ball of Contention which leems
to be now amongft Churchmen, is the Sacra-
m.-mal Telt, which excludes Dlffenters from
Offices ; which they think they have a Right
to in common with their Fellow Subjects, ha-
ving don- r.othing forfeit it , but this feems
to me, tu be a Diipute only dc Ian* Caprina :
For 'tis cfram, thn not one Diflenter in Eng-
land wouid be in any Office of Value, if that
Law was rrpeal^d, more than there^are now ;
for they always qualify themfelves, if they can
get good Placc^ and take Advantage of the
Law to keep themfelves our of chargeable
ones -, fo that the Churchmen alone fuffer by
that Statute. The King, by A& of Parlia-
ment, as well as Lntereft arid Education, will
be of the Eibbliihed Church ; ^nd the Nobi-
lity
CATffs LETTERS. 97
bility are all, or almoft all, fb too, and no
Doubt but they will give the Preference in all
Preferments to thofe of their own Opinions ,
nor can it ever happen but that Men, who can
have Qualifications to fill any considerable
Employments, will have Wit enough to find
out that there is no religious Difference between
the Church and Presbyterian Eftabliftiments, ex-
cept in the Interefts of their Clergy, which no
wife Man will think confiderable enough to
differ about, and to feparate upon that Score
from the National Difcipline, very few except-
ed, who will find their Account in fettling
themfelves at the Head of a Faction, and fel-
ling it. So that this Queftion appears to me,
only to be a Party Pun&o, and Scarce v/orrh
asking on the one Side, or denying on the
other. Thofe amongft the Whigs ^ who moil:
defire it, would not have the Appearance of
Perfecution ftand in a Law, when in Effecl:
there is no real Perfecution \ and 'tis certainly
tibe Intereft of the Clergy to gratify and oblige
their diffeming Brethren in what cofts them
nothing; for one Act of Kindnefs will make
more Converts in a Year, than they can make by
Preaching at them in Twenty ; however, till
they fee the Advantage in doing it themfelves,
[ think no prudent Man will give them any
Caufe of Jealoufy, by doing it againft their
Con fen t.
This being, as I conceive, the true State of
Church Differences, I [hail conclude this
Letter, ^by Application to our National Cler-
gy. 'Tis not to be wondered at, that fb ma-
ny of their Predeceflbrs regretted the Dimi-
VOL. III. E nution
o8 Giro's LETTERS.
nution which they differed of their former Re-
venue* :.r.d Grandeur at the P(eformAthn ; and
that rh-.-v often lonk'd back with willing Eyes,
a: - .d could r,oi cafily lofe Sight of fo agreeable
a }V-!pvch without weighing enough the Im-
poiLbility of recovering the Power they loft
m the Crown, and their Lands from jhe
Nobility and Gentry, who had got PoiMion
of them : Indeed it would have been a Won-
der if they had don<* ctherwife. But now al-
niuft Two Hundred Years Experience may
convince them of the Impollibility of fucceed-
ing in fuch a Defign. They have once loft
All, by endeavouring to recover a Part ; and
lately had like to have loft their PoffeiFions
and 'Religion too, by attempting to give the
Crown a Power, which they intended (hould
be employed for their own Benefit, but was
a&ually ufed againft them ; and I hope they
are now pretty generally of Opinion, that ^'tis
their Intereft to ftand to their prefent Eftablifh-
menr, and be contented with the fame Security
for their own Pofleffions, as the reft of their
Fellow-Siib]ecl:s have, and to join with them in
the Defence of Liberty, and the Laws of the
Land.
1 fee with a great deal of Pleafure, many of
them falling into thefe Opinions, and hope it
will Toon be the Opinion of the greateft Part
of them ; and then I. dare boldly affirm, that
all religious DiiVmdHons will foon be at an
End, which are now kept up more by Party
Anjir.oliiies, than any effemial Difference of
Opinion ; for Men will always fly from the
Sentinunts of thofe whofe Perfons they hate,
and
CATO's LETTERS. 99
and whofe Oppreilion they fear ; and flich as
are iitrle concerned about Metaphyfical, and
as they think ufelefs Notions in Divinity, will
lupport any Party againft thole who would
opprefs all ; and therefore the moft laudable,
and indeed only Way of the Clergy's being
fafe themfelves, is to make other People fafe,
and then they will have the good Wiflies, the
Refpe6t, and Protection of every hmeft Man
in England ; and Multitudes of the Difleiiterfj
who will not be frighted or bullied out of
their Opinions, willjnfenfibly quit them of
their own Accord, if it be only to fave the
Charge of paying feparate Minifters, and to
be in the Fafhion, when they can once give
themfelves Leave to confider coolly, that they
differ about nothing, or nothing that is effen-
tial to Religion, or their own Interefts. The
Heat of the Sun made the Traveller immedi-
ately quit his Cloak, when the Bluftering of
the North Wind made him wrap it clofer about:
him.
I am 9 <Scc.
T T gives equal Occafion of Mirth and Con-
JL cern to wife Men, to fee fb many of the
other ibrt, Pcrfbns of feeming Reverence, and
with grave Faces, exerting themfelves with
Warmth ar.d Zeal n;r Opinions and Parties,
with each a feparate Train or Choruo of leffct
E x and.