то тНЕ REA DE R. I AM fenfible that this treatise will, very likely, incur the displeasure of many, as it contains fome principles neither modern nor fashionable; yet, though fashion is a most powerful thing, to which the laws of God and man bow and obey, it has not fo ftrongly recommended itself to me as to obtain an intire conqueft over me: for, with God's affiftance, I fhall always readily embrace the truth wherever I find it, and refolutely walk where wis dom and truth lead me, let the paths be never fo unfrequented. I can honestly declare, that no vain-glorious humour of defiring to be popular, which I never shall effect by the method I take, nor itch to VOL. I. have A 89X677 have my name in print, nor any design to create fresh uneafinefs, was the occafion of my entering upon this undertaking. I heartily bewail those discontents, riots, and tumults, which fo miferably distract this nation, and threaten its utter ruin; and, except truth and a good confcience, should count nothing too dear to part with to put an end to them. write upon The principle that prompted me to this fubject was a fincere defire to fee peace, unity, and concord re-efta`blished, and to expofe to the reader's view those shelves and rocks upon which the ignorant, carelefs, and unwary have fatally fplit. Things, not men, are my object; and truth, not party, my pursuit: and I can honestly declare, that the bent of my thought, through the whole of this performance, has been to avoid error and purfue truth, by the help of a plain understanding and an honeft heart, entirely devoted 7 devoted to procure, as far as in my power, the true intereft of my country, as a fincere lover of it and no perfon can deny that it is a good fervice done to mankind civilly to tell, and dutifully to endeavour to recover those from mistakes that labour under them; and sometimes a very mean perfon may be a very seasonable monitor. If this performance entice people to think, examine, and enquire, whether they may not be wrong in their prefent practice in fome things of great importance, and if fome, by difcovering their error, return to a better mind, glad, extremely glad, should I be. That we are unhappily divided into dif ferent parties, and that there are great numbers amongst us fowing divifions. amongst the people, and ever intent upon the ruin of the conftitution, and defirous to introduce anarchy and confufion, is too plain to ftand in need of proof. Thefe people's A 2 people's dark dealings and hellish principles I have endeavoured to detect and refute, and, whatever the reader may think of what is here prefented, I can affure him that I have neither any temporal interest to serve, nor any bias, that I am fenfible of, to mislead me: my intention is, and I hope will continue to be, invariably to adhere to truth to the best of my knowledge, without regard to perfons, parties, or powers; and my head, hands, and heart are devoted to the support of the true interest of these kingdoms; which can never be obtained or preserved but by a fteady and religious adherence to the fundamental and established laws of the conftitution. I have endeavoured wholly to divest myself of party, prejudice, or fancy, and dispaffionately to expose several dangerous doctrines, and to lay down the principles of government in their primitive purity, |