teaches England, that American patriots do their country less mischief in the mansion-house, and in the parliament, than in the tower and in a common jail.

66

Permit me, sir, to conclude by a remark upon the character, which the Monthly Reviewers give me in their last review. They call me a mere Sacheverel; a preacher of those slavish and justly exploded jacobitical doctrines, for which the memory of Sacheverel and his abettors will ever be held in equal contempt and abhorrence by every true friend of the liberties of mankind!" I should be truly sorry if I deserved so severe a censure: I hope that the reviewers have passed it with a degree of precipitation. Possibly they did not read so far in my Vindication as page 57, &c., or even page 37, where I begin to guard my doctrine against the jacobitical tenets of despotism. Should my American Patriotism reach those gentlemen, and should they give themselves the trouble to turn to pages 78, 84, 86, 104, 122, 124, 125, 127, where I continue to guard British liberty against the encroachments of arbitrary power, I flatter myself that they will see, I am no more 66 a mere Sacheverel" than I am a mere Price. Dr. Sacheverel ran as fiercely into the high monarchical extreme as Dr. Price does into the high republican extreme. I have endeavoured to keep at an equal distance from their opposite mistakes, by contending only for the just medium which the holy scriptures and our excellent constitution point out; and I hope my unprejudiced readers will do me the justice to confess, that, if I have missed the mark of moderation, at which I sincerely aim, I have not missed it toto cœlo by going full east with Dr. Sacheverel, any more than by going full wést with Dr. Price. What has possibly misled the reviewers, is their not considering, that my withstanding an opponent, who impetuously throws himself into the levelling extreme of Dr. Price, obliges me principally to oppose this extreme. If Dr. Sacheverel were alive, and his erroneous, enthusiastical, mobbing politics endangered the public tranquillity, as the patriotism of Mr. Evans and Dr. Price does at present; I would oppose the high churchman, as much as I now do the two high dissenters. Before we absolutely condemn an

author., we should, I think, consider what extreme times and circumstances call him chiefly to guard against. But party-men seldom do this: and it is well if, after all, bigoted anti-Americans do not blame some parts of this publication, as much as Americanus will blame other parts. Moderation has not many friends whilst the spirit of contention runs high; but, like wisdom, she is justified of her children, and will in time win some of her opposers.

When the reviewers have given me the character of a "mere Sacheverel," we may naturally expect to see them recommend your performance as much as they decry mine accordingly they say, "Mr. Evans is a lively and sensible advocate for the freedom of the colonies, a spirited controvertist," &c. "In letter three Mr. Fletcher's reasons from scripture are shown to be inconsistent, absurd, and totally inconclusive." To show how strongly the judgment of ingenious critics may be biassed by prejudice, I need only refer our readers to page 12, &c., where I produce the "lively and sensible” arguments, by which you attempt to prove that my scripture doctrine of taxation is "absurd."

NESS WITH THE SWORD, AND OF FASTING WHEN THE SWORD IS DRAWN FOR THAT PURPOSE.

us."

"From all sedition, privy conspiracy, and rebellion, good Lord, deliver And in order to this we pray, "That it may please thee to give the magistrates grace to execute justice." Litany.

"He" (the supreme magistrate) "beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil."

Rom. xiii. 4.

THE APPOINTMENT

OF

THE GENERAL FAST

VINDICATED.

MY DEAR FELLOW-SUBJECTS,

In a late publication,* too large and too dear for common readers, we find the following observations :—

"Dr. Price, the champion of the American patriots, has advanced an argument which deserves the attention of all who wish well to church and state: take it in his own words: In this hour of tremendous danger, it would become us to turn our thoughts to heaven. This is what our brethren in the colonies are doing. From one end of North America to the other, they are fasting and praying. But what are we doing? Shocking thought! We are ridiculing them as fanatics, and scoffing at religion. We are running wild after pleasure and forgetting every thing serious and decent at masquerades. We are gambling in gaming-houses, trafficking for boroughs, perjuring ourselves at elections, and selling ourselves for places. Which side then is Providence likely to favour? In America we see a number of rising states in the vigour of youth, and animated by piety. Here we see an old state, inflated and irreligious, enervated by luxury, and hanging by a thread. Can we look without pain on the issue?'

American Patriotism confronted with Reason, Scripture, and the Constitution. Price Ninepence.