courfe was had to that most dangerous and defperate of all experiments, which nothing but extreme neceffity can juftify, MILITARY

FORCE.

They who fet out with the very best principles, and the pureft intentions, were infenfibly led by a few artful incendiaries into exceffes of which at one time they would have thought themselves utterly incapable. In their hafte to reform every thing, they unhappily forgot that the other two branches of the legislature, THE KING AND THE LORDS, had rights as facred and as effential to the public welfare, as thofe of the coMMONS; and that it was no lefs injurious and dangerous to violate the conftitution, for the fake of advancing the power of the people, than for the purpose of extending the prerogative of the crown, Heated with thofe vifionary plans which they had formed of abfolute perfection in church. and state, they thought it allowable to promote fuch righteous ends by the most unrighteous means; by trampling on all thofe facred laws of truth, juftice, equity, charity, and humanity, which were undoubtedly meant (however little we may regard that meaning) to govern

our

our political as well as private conduct; and which can never be tranfgreffed, not even in pursuit of liberty itself, without the most pernicious effects.

No wonder, then, that these effects followed in the present instance, and that the Almighty pursued fuch unchriftian practices with the most exemplary vengeance. It is, indeed, very remarkable, that every one of those parties which bore a share in this miserable conteft, king, nobles, commons, puritans, and patriots, were disappointed of their aim, and found every thing fall out the very reverse of what they expected, Each in their turn became the victim of their own devices, and the new race, which fprung up from their dregs, exhi bited to the world a moft fingular but at the fame time most inftructive spectacle. Instead of that unlimited freedom, temporal and spiritual, which they conceived themselves commiffioned by Heaven to establish; confufion and bloodshed, tyranny and anarchy, every folly and every extravagance which enthusiasm could engender, followed each other in quick fucceffion, Afhamed and tired of fuch dif graceful and capricious infults, the nation was

at length roused, and with one voice recalled the exiled monarch to the throne.. But as if it was meant by Providence that every part of this unexampled fcene fhould hold forth fome useful leffon to mankind, it appeared from the conclufion no lefs than from the whole pro grefs of it, how completely all immoderate vehemence of temper and conduct defeats its own purposes, and by grafping at too much lofes every thing. For, as one extreme naturally begets another, exceffive rigour to the father produced exceffive indulgence to the fon; and in one fond moment of joy was loft the fruit of all the preceding ftruggles against the exorbitant claims and encroachments of the crown.

But when, in the following reign, a different conduct was obferved, the event was alfo different, and Heaven gave its fanction to the glorious work. At that memorable period all the injuftice and oppreffion was on the part of the fovereign, all the forbearance and moderation on the part of the fubject. For although the invasions made both on our civil and religious rights, by James the Second, were far bolder and more alarming than those attempts

ed

ed by his unhappy father, yet they produced no hafty, no licentious exceffes among the people. Every legal, every conftitutional mode of redress was firft tried, and when those failed of fuccefs, more vigorous and efficacious meafures became neceffary. Yet even these were conducted with the most consummate prudence and circumfpection; and the wisdom, the calmnefs, the firmnefs, the temper, the fobriety, with which our illuftrious ancestors proceeded on that occafion, form a most striking contrast to the rashness, the paffion, the wild impetuofity, the fanatic fury, with which Cromwell and his affociates fet themselves to tear up the abuses of government, and government itself along with them, by the roots. The great authors of THE REVOLUTION, on the contrary, difdaining all the usual artifices of faction to inflame and mislead the multitude, and leaving every one to his own natural fenfe and feeling of the injuries he sustained; without calumny or falfhood, without invective or misrepresentation, without the horrors of a civil war, without a fingle battle, almost without the lofs of a fingle life, effected every thing they wished. Because both the end they pursued, and the means they employed, VOL. II. e

were

were reasonable and juft, Providence crowned their efforts with fuccefs, and gave them the glory of establishing the rights of the people, not on the ruins of the conftitution, but on the nice adjustment and exact counterpoife of all its feveral component parts.

We have then the strongest reasons to conclude, that there is a Power on high which watches over the fate of nations, and which has in a more especial manner, in a manner plainly distinguishable from the ordinary course of events, and the common effects of human policy and forefight, preferved this kingdom in the most critical and perilous circumftances *. Does not this then afford fome ground to hope, that if we endeavour to render ourselves worthy of the divine protection, it will be once

"I have often obferved, (fays an eloquent writer) that "when the fulness and maturity of time is come that produces "the great convulfions and changes in the world, it usually pleases God to make it appear, by the manner of them, that they are not the effects of human force or policy, but of the "divine juftice and predeftination. And though we see a man Iftriking as it were the hour of that fulness of time, yet our rea"fon must needs be convinced, that his hand is moved by fome "fecret, and, to us who ftand without, invifible direction." Cowley's Difcourfe on the Government of Oliver Cromwell.

This obfervation is, I apprehend, ftrictly applicable to those inftances of INVISIBLE DIRECTION which have been here produced.

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