I MY LORD, LETTER IV. The Answer. Nov. 20, 1717. Am truly obliged by your kind condolence on my Father's death, and the defire you exprefs that I fhould improve this incident to my advantage. I know your Lordship's friendfhip to me is fo extenfive, that you include in that wish both my fpiritual and my temporal advantage; and it is what I owe to that friendship, to open my mind unreservedly to you on this head. It is true, I have loft a parent for whom no gains I could make would be any equivalent. But that was not my only tye: I thank God another ftill remains (and long may it remain) of the fame tender nature : Genitrix eft mihi-and excuse me if I fay with Euryalus, nequeam lacrymas perferre parentis. A rigid divine may call it a carnal tye, but sure Ignaram hujus quodcunque pericli For fhe, my Lord, would think this feparation can poffibly ever do in another. Can a man who thinks fo, juftify a change, even if he thought both equally good? To fuch an one, the part of Joyning with any one body of Christians might perhaps be easy, but I think it would not be so, to Renounce the other. Your Lordship has formerly advis'd me to read the best controverfies between the Churches. Shall I tell you a fecret? I did fo at fourteen years old, (for I loved reading, and my father had no other books) there was a collection of all that had been written on both fides in the reign of King James the second: I warm'd my head with them, and the confequence was, that I found myself a Papift and a Proteftant by turns, according to the last book I read *. I am afraid most Seekers are in the fame cafe, and when they ftop, they are not so properly converted, as outwitted. You fee how little glory you would gain by my converfion. And after all, I verily believe your Lordship and I are both of the fame religion, if we were thoroughly understood by one another, and that all honeft and reasonable chriftians would be fo, if they did but talk enough together every day; and had nothing to do together, but to ferve God, and live in peace with their neighbour. As to the temporal fide of the question, I can have no difpute with you; it is certain, all the beneficial circumftances of life, and all the fhining ones, lie on the part you would invite me to. But if I could bring myself to fancy, what I think you do but fancy, that I have any talents for active life, I want health for it; and befides it is a real • This is an admirable description of every Reader labouring in religious controverfy, without poffeffing the principles on which a right judgment of the points in queftion is to be regulated. truth, truth, I have lefs Inclination (if poffible) than Ability. Contemplative life is not only my scene, but it is my habit too. I begun my life where moft people end theirs, with a dif-relifh of all that the world calls Ambition: I don't know why 'tis call'd fo, for to me it always feem'd to be rather stooping than climbing. I'll tell you my politic and religious fentiments in a few words. In my politics, I think no further than how to preferve the peace of my life, in any government under which I live; nor in my religion, than to preferve the peace of my confcience in any church with which I communicate. I hope all churches and all governments are fo far of God, as they are rightly understood, and rightly adminiftred: and where they are, or may be wrong, I leave it to God alone to mend or reform them; which whenever he does, it must be by greater inftruments than I am. I am not a Papift, for I renounce the temporal invasions of the Papal power, and deteft their arrogated authority over Princes and States. I am a Catholick in the ftricteft fense of the word. If I was born under an abfolute Prince, I would be a quiet fubject; but I thank God I was not. I have a due sense of the excellence of the British conftitution. In a word, the things I have always wifhed to see are not a Roman Catholic, or a French Catholic, or a Spanish Catholic, but a true Catholic: and not a King of Whigs, or a King of Tories, but a King of England. Which God of his mercy grant his prefent Majefty may be, and all future Majefties: You fee, my Lord, I end like a preacher: this is Sermo ad Clerum, not ad Populum. Believe me, with infinite obligation and fincere thanks, ever Your, &c. LET I LETTER V. Sept. 23, 1720. Hope you have fome time ago receiv'd the Sulphur, and the two volumes of Mr. Gay, as inftances (how fmall ones foever) that I wish you both health and diverfion. What I now fend for your perufal, I fhall fay nothing of; not to foreftall by a fingle word what you promis'd to fay upon that fubject. Your Lordfhip may criticise from Virgil to these Tales; as Solomon wrote of every thing from the cedar to the hyffop. I have fome caufe, fince I laft waited on you at Bromley, to look upon you as a prophet in that retreat, from whom oracles are to be had, were mankind wife enough to go thither to confult you: The fate of the South-fea Scheme has, much fooner than I expected, verify'd what you told me. Moft people thought the time would come, but no man prepared for it; no man confider'd it would come like a Thief in the Night; exactly as it happens in the cafe of our death. Methinks God has punifh'd the avaritious, as he often punishes finners, in their own way, in the very fin itself: the thirst of gain was their crime, that thirst continued became their punishment and ruin. As for the few who have the good fortune, to remain with half of what they imagined they had (among whom is your humble fervant) I would have them fenfible of their felicity, and convinced of the truth of old Hefiod's maxim, who, after half his eftate was swallowed by the Directors of those days, refolv'd, that half to be more than the whole. Does not the fate of these people put you in mind of two paffages, one in Job, the other from the Pfalmift? VOL. VIII. F Men Men fhall groan out of the CITY, and his them out of their PLAce. They have dreamed out their dream, and awaking have found nothing in their hands. Indeed the univerfal poverty, which is the confequence of univerfal avarice, and which will fall hardest upon the guiltlefs and induftrious part of mankind, is truly lamentable. The univerfal deluge of the S. Sea, contrary to the old deluge, has drowned all except a few Unrighteous men but it is fome comfort to me that I am not one of them, even tho' I were to furvive and rule the world by it. I am much pleas'd with a thought of Dr. Arbuthnot's; he fays the Government and South-fea company have only lock'd up the money of the people, upon conviction of their Lunacy (as is ufual in the cafe of Lunaticks) and intend to reftore them as much as may be fit for fuch people, as faft as they fhall fee them return to their senses. The latter part of your letter does me fo much honour, and fhews me fo much kindness, that I must both be proud and pleas'd, in a great degree; but I affure you, my Lord, much more the laft than the firft. For I certainly know, and feel, from my own heart which truly respects you, that there may be a ground for your partiality, one way; but I find not the leaft fymptoms in my head, of foundation for the other. In a word, the best reason I know for my being pleas'd, is, that you continue your favour toward me; the beft I know for being proud, would be that you might cure me of it; for I have found you to be fuch a physician as does not only repair, bur improve. I am, with the fincereft efteem, and moft grateful acknowledg any ment, Your, &c. LET |