/m/Uty/j 
 
 fJi//7?u?i^' ^^^^Z//?.«i^<;/^^#7Z!^/Z/- 
 
 ^-/'.^^ _ ^/fa/mc,/7S3 
 
 ^k 
 
 / _ 
 
 
The Snare broken, 
 
 4 
 
 A 
 
 Thankfgiving-Difcourlej 
 
 PREACHED 
 
 At the Dcfire of the Weft Church 
 
 IN 
 
 Boston, iV. £. Friday May 23, i^dd^ 
 
 OCCASIONED BY THE 
 
 E P E A L 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Stamp-Ad. 
 
 BY 
 
 Jonathan Mayhew, D. DJ 
 
 Paftor of faid Church. 
 
 -Brethren^ ye have been called unto liberty ; only ufe not 
 
 Liberty /er an ccccjijn to the flsjh, but tj love ftrvs om 
 another, A p. Pawl. 
 
 t m. • II - f^" i ^ I. ' " • 
 
 B O S T O N.t 
 
 Printed and Sold by R. &S. Draper, inNew- 
 bury-Street ; EdesSc Gill, in Quecn-Str-^ct ; 
 and T. 8c J. Fleet, in GornhllL 3766. 
 
.%v^:ilfjkf}:»pc^i: 
 
THE 
 
 DEDICATION, 
 
 To THE Right HoNoRABLti 
 
 William Pitt, Efq; 
 
 ONE OF HIS 
 
 Majesty's 
 
 MOST HONORABLE PRIVY COUNrTL,' 
 AND AN ILLUSTRIOUS 
 
 PATRON OF AMERICA. 
 
 o 
 
 Ki 
 
 ID not a Wide ocean intervene, the 
 Author of the enfaing Difcourfe 
 v/ould not prefumc to prefix fo great 
 
 a NAiriF. to a littlePerformanceof his,v/kh- 
 oar. firft humbly requefling the indulgence, 
 and obtaiiiino; it. Nor would he truft to 
 \x\t fufiidcncy of that apology for taking 
 
 this 
 
iv D E D I C AT 10 N. 
 
 \t\as liberty, did not fome perfons perfwade 
 .him to hope, it will be kindly and con« 
 defcendingly taken as a teftimony of that 
 iincere gratitude and high veneration, 
 which not only he but his country has for 
 ONE, who hath twice at leaft been a prin- 
 cipal Inftrument in the hand of GOD, of 
 favingGREAT Britain and her Colonies 
 from impending ruin : Once, by magnani- 
 moufly condu6ling a juft and glorious war 
 againft foreign nations ; and once, by pre- 
 fcrving peace in His own *, — by exerting 
 Himfelf to prevent a fatal rupture between 
 Br i TA IK and hcrCoionies, and to re-eftab- 
 liPn fuch an harmony as elTentially con- 
 ceriis the \velfare of bo the ' 
 
 At the late moll important crisis, You, 
 Sir, whom no rewards could ever tempt, 
 no frowns of the Great ever difmay, no 
 dangers difconcert ; and to whom* fo good 
 jand great inYouifehv no cities,,' ho vvevjpr 
 high, could pojTibly add any new dignity or 
 lu(h-e; You, Great Sir, was not "waJhamcd 
 Qt cur chain",or reluctant at {landing forth 
 to plead the caufc of poor .America ; ar^d 
 to Item clic mighty tGircnt that was againft 
 
 her. 
 
D E D IC AT JO m ^p 
 
 ber, which threatened to end in a deluge of 
 blood ! When it was accounted criminal 
 by many, even to Hfp but a broken word dr 
 two milcicfavor, You, Sir, was not afhamr» 
 ed or afraid to pour forth all Your unri- 
 vall'd eloquence in a ftrenuous vindication 
 lof Her infringed Rights. And, indeed^ 
 her caufe being fuppofed good, the moite 
 friendlefs She was, the more She needed^, 
 and in fome fore deferved, fo powerful *a 
 patronage. For, furely, great talents were 
 given for great occafions ; to be employed 
 in defence of the innocent and feeble. 
 God made fomc men firong, on purpofe to 
 . *' bear the infirmities of the weak!'; 
 that they might be able to afllft and fup- 
 port them in their dangers and extremities ; 
 as You, Sir, have ever done, fince You 
 > ^adorned the British ienate; and particti- 
 ^^larly in a late ever-memorable inftariee." 
 
 ■ -^fo. Ycu, Great Sm, under" GOD and 
 theKiN0, grateful ArviERiCx-i cbiefly attri- 
 butes it, that She is nov/ happily re "inflated 
 in the enjoyment of her former liberties 
 and privileges ; tho' She has, at the irime 
 time, a vcrv deep fenfe cf her oblip-ations 
 to other great r>nd Uluftrioils F'&fona2;es. 
 
 " If. 
 
n DEDICATION: 
 
 lF,3i?.,you could^at this diftance^^aVeS 
 adequate conception of the univerfal joy of 
 A TIE RIGA, preceeded by the moft alarm- 
 ing apprehenfions for Her liberties : If 
 You could be fully fenfible how much vrd 
 afciibeitto You, that they are not^loft*^. 
 hov;, next to the King, wc blefs You as: 
 our common Father, and fend up ardenr 
 vows to Heaven for You ; this would, it 
 muft give You a fublime, and truly 
 Godlike pleafure. It might even fuf- 
 pend, for a while, the fcverefl: pangs of that 
 'cxcruciatino; diforder, which has fo often de- 
 tain'd you from the Br i t i sh Senate, to the 
 great detriment of the public ; particularly 
 when the late dreadful Stamp-act was 
 palled. Nay, it might, perhaps, without 
 any other miracle, grveYou fuch fplnes and 
 vigor, as to " take up Your bed and v/alk," 
 like thofe fick and lame perfons inftantly 
 cured by the word of liim, who cam^ 
 from Heaven to make us ^' free indeed'V ''^ 
 
 : ) c ^ \\ I \ ] ver ial , fo great is oi ir j cy , aitd :ra 
 mncli, Sir, are we indebted forit to-yoqr' 
 good oH'c^s ! But, al:is ! what can pot^ 
 Ami- RICA (loin rccum? Nothing but jTc- 
 
 knovricdp-e 
 
DEDICATION. >i 
 
 Joiowledge the obligation with as much 
 fincerity as a grateful country ever acknow- 
 ledged one ; Nothing but call you, over 
 and over again, her Father, her Father; 
 and endeavour to make goodYour generous 
 engagements for her prudent, dutiful be- 
 havoiur towards her Mother-country; 
 Nothing but ere6i: a few marble, brafs or 
 copper ftatues in honor to You ; (for 
 America has but little filver or gold) 
 flatues that will be of no fervice to You, 
 fince they will go to decay long before 
 Your name and memory will need any 
 fuch poor helps to preferve them. 
 
 Alas ! ASiBRVc A can Ao no more !-— .' 
 Yes, Sir, there is one thing more : She 
 will pray that Yon may long live in health, 
 happinefs and honor, that if there fliould 
 be any occafion hereafter, as in time paft. 
 You may flep in and prevent Hers and 
 Br I T A I N s ruin, Vv^hen no other man could ; 
 and thatt when You muft, according to 
 the common lot of men, however great 
 and good (O may it be late !) ceafe to 
 plead the caufe of Liberty on earthy 
 You may in Heaven, as Your reward, 
 
 enjoy 
 
l?iu DEDICATION. 
 
 enjoy " the glorious Libertx of the fons 
 of God"! 
 
 I AM, With the wanneft gratitude, and 
 higheft veneration. Right Honorable and 
 Moft Worthy 
 
 Tom- moft ohedientj, . 
 
 Mofi Dutiful 
 "JUni Moft Humhk S^rvcinty 
 
 Jonathan MAYHE^y,. 
 
( ^ ) 
 
 PSALM CXXIV. 7, 8. 
 
 Our fotdis efcaped as a bird from the fnar^ 
 ojftbefo'wlers ; the fnare is broken^ and 
 ive are efcaped. 
 
 Our help is in the name of the Lord, v^ho 
 
 made heaven aiid earths 
 
 THE late gracious appearance of divine pro=* 
 Vidence for us, in the day of our trouble, 
 feemed fo feafonable, fo fignal, f(? impor^ 
 tant; in a word, fo interefting to the prefentand 
 future generations, that we of this Society thought 
 it expedient to agree among ourfclves upon a day, 
 in -order to take a particular, religious notice of 
 it j and to pralfe the name, of the Lord, in whom 
 is our help. If there had been any probability 
 of our being called together for this end by 
 Proclamation^ as upon fome lefs memorable 
 occafions, we ihould not have been defirous to 
 anticipate the day ; v/hich might have had the 
 appearance of oftentation. But of that, fo far as 
 1 have heard, there was- vety little, if any, 
 profpe<ri. By this perfectly voluptarv, and free^ 
 
 S ' ml! 
 
( 2 .) i. 
 
 iviUvofrering, I hope wc fhall render to God, jn 
 foine poor meafure, the glory due to his name ; 
 and that he will graciouily accept it, thro' our 
 Lord Jefus ChrlH: the righteous, our mediator 
 and advocate with the Father. At the fame time, 
 it is fuppofed that, in proceeding thus, we give 
 no jud ground of offence to Jew or Gentile, or 
 to the chuich of God ; which we would by no 
 iiieans do. W^ only exercife that liberty, w^here*-, 
 with Chrill hath made us free, being defirous that 
 all other perfons and churches fhould do the 
 iame; and not chufing that either they or we 
 fhould. be " entangled with any yoke of bondage.'' 
 Having rendered our devout thanks to God, 
 whofe kingdom ruleth over all, and funghis high 
 ]5raifes ; permit me now, my friends and bre- 
 thren, with unfeigned love to my country, to 
 cohgmulate you on that intercfting event, which 
 is the. fpecial occafion of this folcmnity : An 
 event, as I humbly conceive, of tlie utmoft im- 
 portance to the whole Britifh empire, whofe 
 peace and profperity we ought ardcnly to defire; 
 and one, very peculiarly affcding the welfare of 
 thefe colonies. Believe me, I lately took no in- -j^ 
 cohfid^rable part with you in your grief, And 
 gloomy apprehenfions, on account of a certain 
 
 fAR*L-iAMENTARY ACT, which yOU fuppofed 
 
 ruinous in its tendency to the American planta- 
 tions, and, eventually, to Great-Britain. 1 now 
 partake no lefs in your common joy, on account 
 of the REPEAL of that aft ; whereby thelc colo- 
 nies are emancipated from a flavifli, inglorious 
 bondage.; are re-inflatcd in the enjoyment of 
 
 their 
 
( 
 
 3 ) 
 
 their ancient rights and privileges, and a fonii- 
 dation is laid for lading harmony bt tweenGrcat^ 
 Ikitain and them, to their mutual advantage. 
 
 But when you requeued me to preach a fer- 
 mon on this joyful occafion, I conclude it was 
 neither your expe<flation nor defire, that I fhould 
 enter very particularly into a political confidera- 
 tion of the affair. Had I conceived this to have 
 been your intention, I mull, tho' with reluctance, 
 have given you a refufal ; pirtly from a convic* 
 tion of the impropriety of minutely difculling 
 points of this nature in the pulpit, and partly 
 from a fenfe of my own inability to do it as it 
 ought to be done. 1 fuppofe I :thali belt anfwer 
 your expectation, as well as mqfi: gratify my own 
 inclination, by waving political controverfy, and 
 giving you fiich counfels and exhortations re- 
 fpe61ing your duty to God and man, as are agree- 
 able to the facred oracles, to the dictates of fober 
 reafon, and adapted to the occafion. This is, 
 therefore, what f chiefly propofe to do in the 
 enfuing difcnurfe, as God (liall enable me : And 
 may the Father of lights trach me to fpeak, and 
 you to hear in fuch a manner, that ouradembling 
 together at this time, out of the ordinary courfe; 
 may be to bis honor, and to chrilrian edification. 
 
 However, if my dilcourfe is to be particularly 
 adapted to this great occafion, inftcad of being fa 
 general, as to be almoft as fuitable to any other, 
 you are fenfible "it is neceflary thai the occafion 
 hfeif fhould be kept in view. I iliali therefore 
 briefly prcmife a few things ralative thereto, by 
 way of intiodu»flion to the main defign; fuch 
 B z hiaiif . 
 
--iJ&fj, Tm€an,i5 feall bow be taken for granted. 
 
 *' Jn mentioning which^my aim will be to exprefs, 
 
 r.; in brief, what I t^ke %P be the general fenfeof 
 
 . !thefe colonies, rather than to explain my o\vn. 
 
 For it is on fuch comraOnly-receivcd opinions, 
 
 that my exhortations and cautions will be ground* 
 
 cd ; leaving the particular difcuffion of them to 
 
 Others, who are better qualified for it, and to 
 
 whom it more properly belongs. And if I 
 
 Ihould. be miftaken in any pf thefe particulars, 
 
 it is hoped candor will excufe it ; fteing thefp 
 
 are matters out of the way of my profeffioh. 
 
 In purfuance of this plan, it fhall now be taken 
 for granted, that as we were free-born, never 
 made (laves by the right of conquelt in war, if 
 there be indeed any fuch right, nor CM as {laves 
 in ^ny open lawful m^Lvkctj for mcney , fo wc 
 iiave a natural right to our 'oiOn, till we hav? 
 freely confented to part with it, either in perfon, 
 or by thofe whom we have appointed to repre- 
 fent, and ro a(5l: for us. 
 
 It fhall be taken for granted, that this natural 
 right is declared, affirmed and fecured to us, as 
 we are Britiih fubje(fts, by Magna Charta ; all 
 a^s contrary to which, are faid to be ipfo fatlo 
 null and void: And, that this natural, conilltu- 
 tional right has been further confirmed to moti: 
 of the plantations by particular fubftquent royal 
 charters, taken in their obvious fenfe ; <he lega- 
 lity and authority of which charters wa?- never 
 once denied by either ^oufe of Parliament ; hut 
 Implicitly at leafl; acknowledged, ever fince they 
 were {e{oe<fl;vcIy granted, till vcJry lately. 
 
J^^'^. - It is lakcn for granted ajfo, that the right of 
 ^a^'l^rial by juries, is a eonftitutiohal '6ffe-' wirii'Tct' 
 lofe<5l to all Britifli fubjeds m gen'crd,JJa^dcuIa^- 
 ,;r!iy to the colonills ; and that the plant^iDn^ in 
 which civil, goverpment has been eftatlifhed^ 
 have all along, .till pf late, been in the uhintcr* 
 53 ,ri»ptcd. enjoy me-nt of both the rights '^forefeid, 
 c » ^hich arc of the utmoft importanee, being eP 
 icntial to liberty. r ■' /^'^^^''■^■ 
 
 It ihall, therefore, be taken for gratttfed, that 
 
 the colonics had great reafon to petition and rer 
 
 ^jfuonftrate againft a late afl of Parliament, as be- 
 
 ,n33|4ng an infraftion of thcfe rights, and rending di*- 
 
 i3v-dire<5tly to reduce us to a ftate of flavery. 
 
 It is, moreover, taken for granted, whatever 
 
 becomes of this queftion about rights, that an 
 
 yff (^6t of that fort was very hard, and juftly grievous, 
 
 - ' not to fay opprelTive ; as the colonies are poor, 
 
 as molt of them were originally fettled at the 
 
 fole and great expence of the adventurers ; the 
 
 expence of rheir money, their toil, their blood ; 
 
 ^iu;#s they have expended a great deal from time to 
 
 b^ jgctime in their wars with their French and Savage 
 
 fi .neighbours, and in the fupport of his Majefty's 
 
 Pjt"^ government here; as they have, moreover, been 
 
 miii^ycr ready to grant fuch aids of men and money 
 
 Ota ^%^ the crown, for the common caufc, as they 
 
 'loi were able to give ; by which means a great load 
 
 pi 4>f debt ftill lies on feveral of them ; and as 
 
 y^fi Great Britain has drawn vaft emolument from 
 
 d.-:«them in the way of commerce, over and 
 
 ,f|> ^above all that fhe has ever expended for them, 
 
 fiiher in ceac« or war : So that ilie h^ beyond 
 
( 6 ) 
 
 all comparifan, richer, more powerful and rei" 
 .pe<n^able now, than fhe would have been, if ouji- 
 fathers had never emigrated: And both they and 
 their pofterity have, in eiTe<51:, been labouring, 
 from firfl: to laft, for the aggrandizement of the 
 mother-country. In this light, that fhare of 
 common jenje^ which the colonics have, be it more 
 or lefs, leads them to confider things. 
 
 It is taken for granted, that as the furpiifing, 
 ^lncxampled growth of thefe colonics, to the 
 extenfion of his Majelly's dominion, and pro- 
 digious advantage of Britain in many refpe^U, 
 has been chiefly owing, under God, to the liberr ..^ 
 ty enjoyed here; fo the infiaOion thereof in two- i> 
 fuch capital points as thofe before referred to, 
 would undoubtedly difconrage the trade, induf- 
 try and population of the colonies, by rendering 
 property infecure and precarious; would foon 
 drain them of all their little circulating money; 
 would put it abfolurely out of their power to 
 purchaie Britifh commodities, force them into 
 manufactures of their own, and terminate, if not 
 in the ruin, yet in the very cfTential detriment of 
 the mother- country. 
 
 It fliall, therefore, alfo be taken for granted, 
 that altho' the colonics could not juflly claim an 
 exclufive right of taxing themfelvcs, andth^.^^ 
 right of being tried by juries ; yet they had 
 great reafon to remonflrate againll the ^t\ afore- . 
 faid on the footing of incxpediencc, the great . 
 hardship, and dcllructive tendency .of it ; as a 
 meafure big with mifchief to Britain, as well as 
 to themfelvcs ; and promoted at fujlf perha^:^, 
 only by pcrfons v.'ho were real fdcnds to neither. 
 
( 7 ) 
 
 jButas to any methods of oppofition to that 
 meafure, on the part of the colonies, befidcs 
 thofe of humble petitioning, and other ftridlly 
 legal ones, it will not, I conclude, be fiippofed, 
 that I appear in this piece as an advocate fot~ 
 them, whatever the general CcvSc of the colonics 
 iiiay be concerning this point. And I take for 
 granted, that we are all pcrfecflly agreed in 
 condemning the riotous and fellonions pro- 
 ceedings of certain ?nen of Be Hal, f as they have 
 been julHy called, who had the effrontery tc 
 eloke their rapacious violences -with the pretext 
 of zeal for liberty ; which is fo far from being 
 a new thing under the fun, that even Great 
 Britain can furnifh us with many, and much 
 more flagrant examples of it. 
 
 But,' my Brethren, however unconflitutlonalj. ' 
 oppreiTive, grievous or ruinous the aforefaid aft 
 was in its nature, and fatal in its tendency, his 
 Majefty and the Parliament have been pleafed to 
 hearken to the jufi: complaints of the colonies, 
 feconded and enforced by the prudent, fpirited 
 conduiil of our m.erchants; by certain noble 
 and ever-honored patriots in Great Britain, ef- 
 poufing our caufe with all the force of reafon 
 and e!ov]uence, and by the general voice of ihe 
 iiation : i3o that a total repeal of that dreadful 
 ad is now obtained. His Majefty and the Par- 
 liament were far too wife, juft and good to per- 
 fillin a meafure, after they were convinced it was- 
 wrong ; or to confider it as any point of honor, 
 to enforce an aft fo grievous to three millioa 
 good fubje(5ls; fo contrary to the intercil of the 
 
 Bndih 
 
 t Tlifi Book of America, Clrap. II. v. 13, 
 
( 8 ) 
 
 Britifh merchajits and manufa^rers, ^nd to tht 
 general fenfc of the nation. They have been 
 pleafed, in the a(5b of repeal itfelf, greatly to 
 their honor, implicitly to acknowledge their fal- 
 libility and erroneous judgment in the other a<fl, 
 by faying, that " the continuance of the faid a^ 
 " would be attended with many inconvenience*, 
 " zndmight beprodu<5livc of confequences great- 
 '* ly detrimental to the conrmercial intereils of 
 " tbqfe kingdoms." Thefe being the rcafons 
 afligned for the repeal, we may juftly conclude^ 
 that if thofe manj inconveniences and detrimen- 
 tal confiquences could have been forcfccn, the 
 aft complained of would never have been pafTed. 
 And as the fame reafons will doubtlefs operate 
 atleaftas ftrongly, probably much more ftrongly 
 hereafter, in proportion to the growth of the 
 colonies, than they do at prefent, we may natu- 
 rally conclude alfo, that an a<n: of the like nature 
 will never again be heard of. 
 
 Thus " our foul is efcaped as a bird from the 
 raare;of the fowlers ; th<3 fnare is broken, and) 
 we, areefcaped ;" tho' not without much ftrug- 
 gUng in the fnare, before it gave way, and fee 
 us at liberty again. But when I fpeak of that 
 pernicious a(ft as a fnare, and thofe who pre- 
 pared, it for us ^ fowler y, greedy of their prey,, 
 let it be particularly obferved, that I intend not 
 the lead reflexion on our gracious Sovereign 
 or the Parliament; who mull not be fuppofed 
 to have any evil defigns againft the colonies, 
 which are fo neceflary to Great Britain, and 
 by which fo,many thoufands of her raanufac- 
 
 twters 
 
( 9 ] 
 
 (nrcrs are fupported, who, but for them, muft 
 actually ftarve, emigrate, or do what I chi.]4e 
 fo forbear mentioning. No ! I apply this, as'I 
 conclude you will, only to fome evil-minded 
 individuals in Britain, who are true friends nei- 
 ther to her nor us ; and who accordingly fpa- 
 red no wicked arts, no deceitful, no difliono- 
 fflble, no difhonclt means, to pufli on and ob- 
 f;iin,'as it we're by /urp?'Ifif an a61 Co prejudicial 
 to both ; and, in fome fort, to the enfnarhig of 
 his M.ijcfty and the Parliament, as well as the 
 good people of America : Being, not improba- 
 bly, in the interefts o'i the Houfes of Bonrbbii 
 ahd the Pretender, whofe caufe they meant to 
 ferve, by bringing about' an open rupture be- 
 tween Great Britain and her colonies ! Thefe, 
 thcfe menj my Brethren, are the cunning fcvj- 
 Iers\ thcle the enjharcrsy from whofe teeth " bur 
 foul is efcaped as a bird :" Arid fuch traitors 
 will, doubtlefsj e'er long be caught in another 
 fnarc, fuitable for them, to the fatisfaclion of 
 the King's good fubjects on both fides th.e;'At- 
 lantic, if his Majefty and the Parliament iliould 
 judge it neceffary for the vindication bf their 
 own iibnor, or for the public good, tb^'bfi'jig 
 'th-cTn to condign punifnment. ' ■'■■'■^■^'; 
 
 ' ; Let mc jufl add here, that according to Qljr 
 iatcd and bed advices, the King, his, truly, pa- 
 triotic Minidry and the Parliament ' have t& 
 ^irucrefl, particularly the commercial iri'tcrcrf 'of 
 .the colonies much at heart ; being wct^ difpcfed 
 *'ercn to enlarge, inftead of curtailing their pri- 
 . vilegcs. and to grant us everv indylgcnce, con- 
 
( lO ) 
 
 ilftent vvith the common good of the Britifh 
 empire ; More than which we cannot reafona- 
 bly, and, I am perlliaded, do not defire. 
 
 Thcfe things being premiledjlet me now pro- 
 ceed to thofe reflexions, exhortations and cau- 
 tions relative to them, which were the chief 
 dcUgn of this difcourfe. And the prefent oc- 
 cafion being a very peculiar one, fuch as never 
 before occurred in America, and, I hope in God, 
 never will again ; I fiiall crave your indulgencp 
 if i am confiderably longer than is cuftomary 
 on other occafions, which are lefs out of the 
 ordinary courfe. - 
 
 In the firfi: place then, it is evident from the 
 preceding view of things, that we have the 
 greatell caufe for thankfulnefs to AlmightyGod, 
 whodoeth his will among the inhabitants of the 
 earth, as well as in the armies of heaven. He, 
 in whofe hands are the hearts of all men, not 
 excepting thofe of Kings, fo that he turneth 
 them whithcrfoever he will, as the rivers of 
 •w'ater, hath infpired the people of America with 
 a noble fpirit of liberty, and remarkably united 
 them in (landing up for that invaluable blefllng. 
 He hath raifed us up friends of the greatell emi- 
 nence in Britain, in our perilous circumftances. 
 He hath united the hearts of almoll all wife 
 and good men there, to plead our caufe and 
 their own fuccefsfully. He hath blcffed the 
 King with an upright Miniftry, zealous for the 
 public good, and knowing wherein it confifls. 
 He hath given the King wifdom to difcern, and 
 integrity to purfuc, the inrerclis of his people, 
 
 at 
 
( II ) 
 
 at the iafe .^larming CRISIS, wheq To much 
 depended on the meafuresthat were then fpee- 
 dily to be taken ! He hath changed his royal 
 purpofe, and that of his Parliament, in a mat- 
 ter which nearly and eflentially concerned, at 
 leaft o//r temporal happinefs ; difpofing theitl 
 to take off from our necks that grievous and 
 heavy burden, which, to be fure, was not put 
 xjpoii us but with reluclance, and thro' the dif- 
 honefl artifices of certain wicked men who, 
 perhaps, intended, if poflible, entirely to alie- ^ 
 nate the alfeclions of the colonifts from their 
 common Father the King, and from theirMo- 
 ther-country. O execrable defjgn ! to the ac- 
 compliiliment of which, the pernicious meafure 
 . albrcfaid apparently tended. But blcfled be He, 
 who goverueth among the nations, that he hath, 
 confounded the devices of fuch treacherous 
 men. To allude to the pfalm, a part of which 
 J mentioned as my text ; " If it had not been 
 the Lord who was on our fide, when men rofe 
 , up againil us," and if they could have had their 
 'wicked will, " then they had fwdUowed us up 
 *' quick ;"—*' then the waters had overwhei- 
 " mcd us, the {tream had gone over our foul ; 
 ''then the proud waters had gone over our foifl. 
 " BlelTcd be the Lord, who hath not given us 
 ,'' as a prey to their teeth j" the ravening teeth 
 bf^'thofp cumiing/ow/^rj, from whofe treachc- 
 ^cs^^fnare we havejuftefcaped ; " our help be- 
 " ii)g in the name of the Lord, who made hea- 
 *' ven and earth." To Him, therefore, \ve 
 jiiftly owe tlio undiiTemblcd gratitude of our 
 C 2' ' heartSj 
 
( 12 ) 
 
 hearts, as well as the joyful praifcfs of our lips : 
 For I take it for granted, that you all firmly 
 believe, that Fie who made the world, exerci- 
 fes a providential government over it ; fo that 
 the very hairs of our head *' are all numbered 
 by," and that *' a fparrow doth not fall to the 
 ground without" Him. How much more then, 
 is his providence to be acknowledged in the rife, 
 in the prefervation, in the great events, the in- 
 volutions, or the fall of mighty ftates^and kiugi- 
 doms ? ■ ' -"■■^^ '.■i'\ .i.j'-o 
 
 To excite our ^^ratitude to God the more^ef- 
 fecluaily, let us confider the greatnefs of mir 
 late danger and of our deliverance : Let us rake 
 a brief reirofpc6live view of the perplexed, 
 wretched ftate, in which thefe colonies were, 
 a few months ago, compared with the joyful 
 and happy condition, in which they are at pre- 
 fent, by the removal of their chief grievances. 
 
 We have never known i'o quick and general 
 • a tranfition from the depth of lorrow to the 
 height of joy, as on this occafion ; nor, indeed, 
 fo great and univerfal a flow of cither, on any 
 other occafion whatever. It is very true, we 
 ha \^e heretofore ken times of great ad verfity. 
 We have kiiown leafons of droughr,dear'th;and 
 fpreading mortal difeafes ; the pdlilenceHv.aik- 
 ing in darknefs, and the deftrudion waftingrat 
 noon day. We have (ecn wide dovaflacions, 
 made by fire ; and amazing tempefts, the hea- 
 vens on flame, the winds and the waves roaring. 
 We have known repeated earthquakes, threat- 
 ning us with fpccdy d^(tru(^lion. We have 
 
 been 
 
( 13 ) 
 
 been under great apprehenllons by reafon. of 
 j^ormidable fleets of an enemy on our coafts,; 
 menacing fire and fword to all our maritime 
 towns. We have known times when theferench 
 and Savage armies made terrible havockon our 
 frontiers, carrying all before them for a while ; 
 when we were not without fear, that fome ca- 
 pital towns in the colonies would fall into their 
 mercilefs hands. Such times as thele we have 
 known ; at fome of which almoft every " face 
 gathered palenefs," and the knees of all but the 
 good and brave, waxed feeble. But never have 
 we known a feafon of fuch univerfal confter- 
 nation and anxiety among people of all ranks 
 and ages, in thefe colonies, as was occafioned 
 by that parliamentary procedure, which threat- 
 ned us and our poilerity with perpetual bon- 
 dage and flavery. For They^ as we generally 
 fuppofe, are really (laves to all intents and puf- 
 pofes, who are obliged to labor and toil only 
 for the benefit of others ; or, which comes to 
 the fame thing, the fruit of whofe labour and 
 induftry maybe Azw/////)' taken from them with- 
 out their confent, and they juftly puniflied if 
 . vthey refufe to furreuder it on demand, or ap- 
 hiply it to other purpofes than thole, which their 
 viaafters, of their mere grace and pleafurc, fee 
 jf;fit to allow. Nor are there many ylmencan 
 c2(under{tandings accute enough to dilHnguifli 
 'Sany material diilerence between this being 
 :';?done by a fingk perfon, under the title of an 
 -labfolute Monarch, and done by a far-diftant 
 ovjbgiliature confiiling ^i many perfpns.in w^hich 
 nWv ^hcy 
 
( 14 ) 
 
 they are not reprelerxted ; and the inernbjens. 
 \\'her^of, infteadof feeling, and Hiaring equally 
 "With rhem in the burden thus impofed,are eafed' 
 qf their own in proportion to the greatnels and 
 Wcight'of it. It may be queftioned, whether the, 
 ancient Greeks orRomans, or any other nation 
 in which flavery was allowed, carried their 
 idea of it much further than this. So that our 
 late; apprehenfions,3nd univerfaiconflernation, 
 on account of ourfelves and poderity, w^fe 
 far, very far indeed, from being groundkfs. 
 For what is there in this world more wretched, 
 than for thofc who were born free, and have 
 si right to continue fo, to be made Haves thera- 
 felves, and to think of leaving a race of Haves 
 behind ihcm ; even though it be to mailers^ 
 confefledly the moll humane and generous in 
 the world ? Or what wondsr is it, if after 
 groaning with a low voice for a while, to no, 
 purpofe, we at length groaned fo loudly, as 
 to be heard more than three thoufand miles ; 
 and to be pitied throughout Europe, wherever 
 it is not hazardous to mention even the name 
 of liberty, unlefs it be to reproach It, aS piily\ 
 another name for fedition,fa(fi:ion or rebellion? 
 Oil the otUer hand, never did the tide of 
 jov fwell fo high; or roll io rapidly thro' . the 
 bofoms and veins of the people in general, on 
 any public occafion, as on the news of THE 
 REPEAL. " Then was our mouth tilledwith 
 *' laughter, and our tongue with fmging," vjbek 
 the Lord turned our captivity ; this was received 
 ^s an emancipatinr. indeed, from -unmerited Jlaverj. 
 
 Nor 
 
I '5 ) 
 
 Norwere there ever before fo great extetmal, 
 demon ft rations of joy among the people q{^ 
 America ; not even when all Canada was rcr 
 duiced, or when it Was fecured to the crown of 
 England by treaty, and ourapprehenfions of co- 
 ming under the yoke of France were vanilhed 
 away. And fome there arc, who fuppofe, that 
 Franee would not have hejfitated at allowing fuch 
 ii (lupber of Hourilhing colonies the exclufive 
 right of taxing themfeivcs, for the fake of a 
 free , trade with them, could they have beeu 
 prevailed on,by violating their allegiance,to put 
 themfclves under her protedion ; as I am fully 
 perfuaded thefe colonies would not do, for all 
 thatPrance has to give. In m}^ poor opinion, 
 we never had fo much real occafion for joy, 
 op any temporal account, as when we were 
 thus emancipated, and our foul efcaped as a bird 
 from the dreadful fnare. And I am perfwa- 
 ded it would rejoice the generous and royal 
 heart of his Majefty, if he knew that by a 
 fingle turn of the fccpter, when he affentcd to 
 THE Repeal, he had given more pleafure 
 to three million good fubjecls, than ever he and 
 his royal Grandfather gave them by all the tri- 
 unaphs of their arms, from Lake Superior Eaft- 
 ward to thelfles of Manilla ; tho* fo numerous/o 
 great, fo illullrious ; and though WE partook 
 fo largely in the national joy on thofe occar 
 fi ons. A PEPPER-CORN "^ a J ear added to his 
 Majefty s exchequer, would not furely— — ! Biij: 
 I forbear. 
 
 * Sec a certain ever memorable Speech to an auguf! sfTcrably- 
 
 If 
 
( i6 ) . 
 
 If you pleafc, we will now defcend to fome 
 farther particulars, rehuve to our late unhappy 
 axid prefent joyful circumilances, in order to 
 excite our thankfulnefs to God, for fo memo- 
 rable a deliverance. 
 
 This continent, from Canada to Florida, and 
 theWefl-India Iflands, mod of them at ieail, 
 have exhibited a difmal mixed fcene of mur- 
 muring, defpondence, tumult and outrage ; 
 courts of juftice fiiut up, with cuftom-houfes 
 and ports ; private jealoufies and animoCties, 
 evil furmifings, whifperings and back-bitings, 
 mutual reproaches, open railing, and many 
 other evils, fmce the time in which the grie- 
 vous ad aforefaid was to have taken place. 
 Aim oft every Britifh American, as was before 
 obferved, confidercd it as an infradion of their 
 rights, or their dearly purchafed privileges, 
 call them which you will; and the fad earneil 
 of fuch a galling yoke to be laid on our necks, 
 already fome what fore by preceding grievances, 
 as neither we nor our Fathers were able to 
 bear; or rather, as being itfelf fuch a yoke, 
 and likely to grow heavier by length of time, 
 without any increafe, cither of ability or pa- 
 tience to endure it. The uneafniefs was,.thece- 
 fore, juftly great aaid univerfal^, except, per- 
 haps, among a few individuals, _ whoeirlicr 
 did not attend to confcquenccs, or.who cxpiec- 
 tcd to find their private account in, the public 
 calamity, by cxcrcifing the gainful,, tho' invi- 
 . dious, and not very reputable ofiice oi tajhinap' 
 ters oTcv their groaning countrymen and bro- 
 
 .- three ; 
 
-.tlitcn. Even our honght Negrp Jlavcs appareiitly 
 fhared in the commoti diftrcfs : For which otie 
 cannot eafily aGCOunt, except by fuppofihg that 
 even fome of them faw, that i^ the aft took place, 
 theirmafters might foon be too poor to provide 
 them fuitable food^rid raiment ; and thought it 
 would be more' ignominious and wretched to be 
 the fervants offervants, than of free-men. 
 a»h But to return. The general difcontent Ope-- 
 .;med very differently upon the minds of different 
 .people, according to the diverfity of their na- 
 '■: turai tempers and conftitutions, their education, 
 'teligious principles, or the prudential maxims 
 Wihich they had efpoufed. Some at bnce grew 
 'melanclioly, fitting down in a kind of lethargic, 
 dull dcfparation of relief, by any means what- 
 ever. Others were thrown ihto a fort of con- 
 fternation, not unlike to a phren^y occafioned 
 by a raging fever ; being ready to do any thing 
 or every thing, to obrain relief; but yet, unhap- 
 pily, not knowing v/hat, when, where, how; nor 
 having any tv/o rational and confifteht ideas a- 
 bout the matter ; fcarcc more than a perfon in a 
 -Sidetirium has of the nature of, or proper method 
 of curing the fever, which is the caufe of his 
 madnefs. Some fev/ were, I believe, upon the 
 :|3rinciples of Sibthorp, Man waring, Filmer, and 
 -:that goodly tribe, determined to go no farther in 
 Dibrder to obtain redrefs, than in the way of pe- 
 tition and remonfhance ; and this, even tho' they 
 had bisen fare of fuccefs in fome hardy enter- 
 prize. Others, who had no religious fcruples of 
 dii? kiiid, yet thought it extremely imprudent 
 
 P ' mi 
 
V 
 
 i8 ; 
 
 and hazardous to oppofe a fupci lor power m 
 inch a manner as might, perhaps, draw rhe whole 
 Xvcighc of itsrcfentmcnt on the colonies, to their 
 dcftruiflion. But the greater part, as [ con- 
 ceive, tho' I rnay be miftaken in this, were firm-- 
 ly united in a confiftent, however imprudent or 
 defperate a plan, to run all rifques, to tempt ail 
 hazards, to go all lengths, if things were driven 
 to extremity, rather than to fubmit ; preferring 
 death itfelf to what they eftecmcd fo wretched 
 and inglorious a fervitude. And even " of de- 
 ^' vout women not a few" were, I imagine, 
 fo far metamorphofed into men on this fad 
 occaiion, that they would have declined hardly 
 any kind of manly exertions, rather than live 
 to propagate a race of flaves, or to be fo.them- 
 felves. In fhort, fuch was the danger, and in their 
 opinion, fo great and glorious the caufe, that the 
 fpirit of the Roman matrons in the time of the 
 commonwealth, fecmcd to be now equalled by 
 the fairer daughters of America. The uneafinefs 
 of fome perfons was much encreafed by an ima- 
 gination, that the money to be raifed by the 
 duty on flamps, would partly be applied to pay 
 certain civil officers falaries; whereby they would 
 become more entirely and abfolutely dependent 
 on the crcw^n, Icfs on the people, and confe- 
 qucntly, as was fuppofed, more arbitrary and itf^ 
 folent. Others were anxious, becaufe they Ima- 
 gined, with how much, or how little reafon you 
 will befl judge, that the money was to be chiefly 
 applied towards maintaining a (landing army in 
 America ; not fo much to defend and fecurc the 
 
 colonics 
 
( ^9 ) 
 
 colonies from enemies, of whom they had noht , 
 except the Siforckld fowlers, as to awe the -colo- 
 nies themfelves into an implicit obedience to' 
 minifl-erial meafureSj however unjufl: or execrable 
 in their nature. There is' no end, you know, 
 to peoples fears 2.n6. jealaufes^ w^hen once they, 
 are thoroughly alarmed. And fb Tome fufpec^edj 
 that this money was partly intended to maintain 
 a (landing army of bifhpps,and other ecclefiadics, 
 to propagate the importance of certain rites and 
 ceremonies, to which they had an averfion ; the 
 divine right of diocefan epifcopacy and tythes^, 
 with many f/ ctetards, of the like facred and in- 
 terejling importance. 'Th<^^tjhange notions and 
 Fears prevailed very much among certain odd peo- 
 ple, who liked their old religion, and were not 
 able to fee the reafonablenefs of their paying for 
 the fupport of any other. I am not accountable 
 for other people's %ubimftcal apprehcnfions : J 
 ^m here only reprefenting the perplexity, into 
 which peoples minds were thrown by the novL-l 
 taxation, according to their different views of li ; 
 a taxation, which was probably never thought of 
 till a few years ago, when it was propofed to a 
 great and good Secretary of State, who was far 
 too friendly to the colonies, as well as too v^'ifei , 
 to burn H i s fingers with an American S T a m f^ 
 Act. 
 
 -:-'This diverfity of humours, fentiments and or!- 
 nions among the coloniHs, of which I have been 
 fpeaking, naturally occafioned great animoii:';cs, 
 mutual cenfures and reproaches: Infomuch ihv: 
 it was hardly fafe for any man to (peak h;^ 
 thoughts on die times, unlefs he cnuld n 
 D ^ 
 
( 20 ) 
 
 tear fof' He under the imputation 6f hdng -^ 
 coward, an incendiary, rebel, or enemy to his 
 country ; or to have fome o^her odium cafl: up- 
 6n hini. In the mean time moft of the courts 
 were fhut up, and almpH: all bufinefs brought $b 
 a ftand ; and, in fome colonics, wide breac^^s 
 were made between their fevcral Governors anjd 
 Houfes of Aflembly ; thofe governors thinking 
 It their duty to pufh the execution of the ftam^p- 
 aft ; and fome of them trying to prevent the af- 
 femblies petitioning, in the joint manner propofed. 
 In this (late of general diforder, approaching (6 
 near to anarchy, fome profligate people, in dif- 
 ferent parts of the continent, took an opportu- 
 nity to gratify their private refentments, and to 
 get money in an eafier and more expeditious 
 way than that of labor; committing abomina^ 
 ble excefTes and outrages on the perfons, <?jr.p.rQ- 
 perty of others. :x^.;:^ j " 
 
 What a dreadful fcene was this! Who can 
 take a curfory review of it even nov/, without 
 Iiorror, unlefs he is lofl to all fenfe of religion, 
 %'irtue and good order ? Thefe v/cre fome of the 
 bitter, and in a good mcafure, the natural fruijjs 
 of that unhappy mcalure which prececded tJ^^B. 
 Nor were we wholly unapprehenfiye of fome- 
 thing ftill worfe ; of having a more dreadft|l 
 fcene, even a fcene of blood and flaughtcr opened ! 
 I will not be particular here ; but alk you what 
 you think of Britilli fubje^ls making war upon 
 l^ritirti fubjc(5l5 on this continent ! What might 
 U^is have terminated in ? Perhaps in nothing Icfs 
 ^to th^ ynia of the colonics, and ihe downfall 
 
C 21 > 
 
 of a certam great kingdom, vi^hich- has^ Idng *fe#ei.i 
 the fupport of other ftates, the terfor of her 
 enemies, and the envy and glory of Europe f-r^ 
 If I had myfelf, once, fome apprehenfions" of this 
 kind, as Iconfefs I had, I was very far from be- 
 ing (ittgukt therein. One of th^ beft judges of 
 'ibch matters, that any nation or age ever afford- 
 ed, as well as one of the beft men, and moftac- 
 T^ipmplifhed orators, fpeaking on this point in a 
 "fertain auguft aflembly, is reported to have ex- 
 '|fefled himfelf thus. ** On a good, on a found 
 ^* bottom, the force of this country can crufh 
 *- America to atoms. I know the valor of your 
 "troops ; I know the fkill of your officers.*^-^ 
 -** But on this ground, on the Stamp-Act, 
 ^■^- when fo many here will think it a crying in- 
 *' juftice, I am one that will lift up my hand 
 " againft it. In Jiicb a caufs your fuccefs may 
 *' be hazardous. America, if she fell, would 
 *' fall like a ftrong man, would embrace the pil- 
 " lars of ftate, and pull doivn the conftituHon 
 ** along with her.'' Thus the great patron of 
 America, t Even the remoteft apprehenfions of this 
 kind, muft give a very fenfible pain to any Ame- 
 rican, who at once flncerely loves his own couri- 
 ity, and wifhes that the happy civil conftitution, 
 th<J ftrehgth and glory of Great Britain may be 
 •^---'i'-' ■ as 
 
 '^.:^e Right H6n. William Pitt, Erq;-^But the author thinks 
 Jt a, piece of juftice due to fo great and rerpe(5table a came, to 
 actnowJedgc that he has no better authority for mentioning it 
 on this particular occafica, than that of the pubh"c prints, late- 
 ly fpread over America ; giving an account of feme debates ii^ 
 ,, the honorable Houfe of Cotrmons. He alio ackrov,iedp,«s, 
 ^ that this is ?.1J the authority he lias for citing Uvrit. olhcr faf- 
 
( 2^ ) 
 
 ais lafting as the world, and ftill Iiicreafing • 5s 
 God is my witnefs, I both wifli and pray. If 
 Britain, which has long been the principal fup-- 
 port of liberty in Europe, and is, at leaft iva^^ 
 the chief bulwark againft that moft execrable of 
 all tyrannies, Topery^ fhould in deftroying her 
 colonies deflroy herfelf ; (Heaven forbid it ! ) 
 what would become of thofe few Itates which 
 ate now free ? what, of the proteflant religion i" 
 The former might,, not improbably, fall before 
 the Grand Monarch on this fide the Alps ; the 
 latter before the Succejfor of the apoftle Judas, 
 and Grand Vicar of Satan, beyond them ; and {o\, 
 at length, one univerfal defpotifm fwallow up all [ 
 Some of us had, lately, painful apprchenfions of 
 this kind, when there was talk of a great mili- 
 tary force coming tojlamp America into a parti- 
 cular kind of fubjeclion, to which moil: people 
 here have an invincible avcrfion. 
 
 It would, doubtlefs, have been a noble efTort 
 
 of genius and humanity in the — what fhall I 
 
 call them ? foivkrs or financiers ? — to extort a 
 little money from the poor colonies by force 
 of arms, at the rifque of fo much mifchicf to 
 America, to Britain, to Europe, to the world. 
 And the golden temptation, it is faid, took with 
 too many, for a while. A Pandora's box, or Tro» 
 jan horfe, indeed ! 0^*\2^1^"^^ 
 
 O miferi, quse tanta infania, cives b-:'-\' 
 
 Creditis ave6tos hqfles ? aut ulla putatis . ;. 
 
 Dona carcrc dolis Danaum ? (ic notus — I f . 
 
 But not to digrefs. I have now briefly re-. 
 
 mii'ided you of our late fad, perplexed, alarming 
 
 clrcumftances; 
 
 I ^.n II. 
 
( 23 ) 
 
 circti m fiances ; not for the fake of reproaching 
 thofe who brought us into them, but to excite 
 your gratitude to God, for our deliverance out 
 of them, and for our prefent happy comHtion, 
 i : The repeal, the repeal has at once, in a 
 good meafure, reftored things to order^ and com- 
 pofed our minds, by removing the chief ground 
 of our fears. The courfe of jufHce between man 
 ^nd man is no longer obflrufled ; commerce lifts 
 up her head, adorned with golden trelles, pearls 
 and precious Hones. All things that went en 
 right before, are returning gradually to their for- 
 mer courfe ; thofe that did not, we have reafoa 
 to hope, will go on better now; almoft. every 
 perfon ^ou meet, wears the fmiles of content* 
 ment and joy ; and even our flaves rejoice, as 
 tho' they had received their manumiflion. Indeed, 
 all the lovers of liberty in Europe, in the worlds 
 liave reafon to rejoice ; thecaufe is in fome mea* 
 fure common to themand us. BlelTed revolution ! 
 glorious change ! How great are our obligatrons 
 for it to the fupreme Governor of the world f 
 He hath given us beaiitj for oJJjes, and the oil of 
 gladnefs for the fpirit f keavivef : He: hath 
 turned our groans into fongs, our mournhig inU 
 daricing : H&h^xh put off our fackcloth^ and gird- 
 ed us with gladnsjs^ to the end that our tongues, 
 our glory may fiiig praifes to him. Let us all 
 then rejoice in thelord, and give honor to him ; 
 not forgetting to add the obedience of our lives, 
 a-s the beftfacrifice that ^^e can offer to Heaven ; 
 and which, if negle<5led; will prove all our other 
 facriiices have been but oftentation and hypo- 
 crify, which arc an abomination to the Lord. 
 
 The 
 
C H ) 
 
 T!ie apoftle Peter makes a natural trafifitioii 
 firom fearing God to honoring the King. Let 
 me, accordingly, in the next place, exliort you, 
 my friends and brethren, to a refpedlful, loyal 
 and dutiful manner of fpeech and condu<5t, re- 
 fpe<fting hisMajeftyand his government; thereby 
 making a fuitable return to him for the redrefs 
 of our late grievances. I am, indeed, well ap- 
 prifed of the firm attachment of thefe colonies \x\ 
 general, and of our own province in particular, 
 to the King's perfon, and to the proteftan't fuc- 
 ceffion in his illuftrious Houfe ; for the prefer- 
 vation of which, there is hardly a native of New- 
 England, who would not, upon conftitutional 
 principles, which are thofe of liberty, chearfully 
 hazard his life ; or even more lives than one, if 
 he had them to lay down in fo good a caufe. 
 I have not the Icaft fufpicion of any difaife^ion 
 in you to his Majefty : But yet the duty of fub- 
 jects to Kings, and to all that are in authority, is 
 frequently to be inculcated by the miniftcrs of 
 the gofpel, if they will follow the example of the 
 apoftles in this refpe<fl:. And theprcfent occafion 
 feems particularly proper to remind you of that 
 important duty ; fince we have now before us a 
 recent and memorable proof of his Majefty's 
 moderation, his attention to the welfare of his 
 people, and readinefs, fo far as in him lies ac- 
 cording to the conftitution, to redrefs their grie- 
 vances, on reafonable and humble complaint. 
 If any perfons among us have taken it unkindly, 
 that his Majefty fhould have given his royal 
 affent to an a<5t, which they think was an infrac- 
 
 tion 
 
( 25 ) 
 
 tion of thofe liberties and privileges, to which 
 they were juftly intided ; and if the ufual tide 
 and fervor of their' loyal affedion is m any' 
 degree abated on that account ; yet, furelyf 
 the readinefs which his Majefty has fhevVn to' 
 h'ear ahd redrefs his people's wrongs/ ought tb"; 
 grve a new fpring, an additional vigor to thelt^^ 
 loyalty and obedience. Natural parents, 'thro' 
 hujiian frailty, and miftakes about h&s ''and 
 clt^cumftanceSjfometimes provoketheir chtMrtntd 
 wWih^ tho' they tenderly love them,and'lincere- 
 ly defire their good. But what affedidnate and 
 dutiful child ever harboured refcntment bn any 
 fuch account, if the grievance <\^as rertioYed, 
 o'i\ a dutiful reprefentatiori of it ? Hardly any 
 thing operates fo (IrongTy on ihgenuous minds, 
 tho' perhaps of quick iefentment, aS the mild 
 cdndefccnfion ot a fuperibrto the force of reafon 
 and right oil the part of the inferk>r. I fliall 
 make no application of this, any farther- than 
 to remind you, that B'ritifli ki'ngs are the p6-. 
 litical Fa f k e R s of their people, and th^^ p^d- ' 
 pie their 'C^ i l d r e n ; Che formdr afe^;4ioC 
 tyrants yO^ Wqw maflers ; the latter-are ndt- 
 Jta^h\Q\f'eym'firvanfs. ■ ^^hinrist^ intml 
 
 ^ liet me farther exhort you to pay d'Ht"HP^ 
 peel ill all things to the BritiGi Parliament ; tH^ 
 liords and Commons being two branches d'f* 
 the fupreme legifiative over all his Majefty'isl 
 don-tinions. The right of parliament to luper-' 
 intend the general affairs of the colonies, to' 
 dircd, check or controulthem, fecms to be 
 fuppofedin their charters ; all which, Ithinl^, 
 
 • "*' • ' B while 
 
( 26 ) 
 
 Tvjiile they grant the power of legiflation, Wrint 
 the exercife of it to the enading fuch laws as 
 are not contrary to the laws of England, ot* 
 Great-Britain ; fo that our feveral legiflatureg' 
 are fubordinate to that of the niother-counrry, 
 which extends to and over all the King's do- 
 minions : At lead, fo far as to prevent any 
 parts of them from doing what would be either 
 dellruclive to each other, or manifeftly to thel 
 ruin of Britain. It might be of the mod dan-' 
 gerous confequence to the mother-country, to 
 relinquifh tliis fuppofed authority or rightvt 
 which, certainly, has ail along been recognized i 
 by the colonies ; or to leave them dependent 
 on the crown ow/y, fmcc, probably, within an 
 century, the fubjccts in them will be more than^l 
 thrice as numerous as thofe of Great-Briraiim 
 and Ireland. And, indeed, if the colonics are'> 
 properly parts of the Britifli empire, as it is 
 both their interell and honor to he, it feems i; 
 abfurd to deny, that they arc fubjcc'l to theiL- 
 highcfl: authority therein, or not bound to yieldiJ(_ 
 obedience to it. I hope there are very fewA 
 peoplp^ if any, in the colonies, who have theD 
 lea ft inclination to renounce the general jurif-:o 
 diction of Parliament over them, whatever we A 
 may think of the particular right of taxation^^fi 
 If, in any particular cafes, we Ihould think ourxv\\ 
 felves hardly treated, laid under needlefs andu'l 
 unreafOnable reftridions, or curtailed of any .'i^ 
 liberties or privileges, which other our fellow"3i 
 fubjc6ls in common enjoy ; we have an un-riJ 
 doubted right to complain, and, by humble andiol 
 
 refpedful, 
 
( 27 ) 
 
 refpeclful, tho' not abjecl and fervile petitions, 
 to feek the redrefs of fuch fuppofed grievances. 
 The colonics are men, and need not be afraid 
 to afTert the natural rights of men ; they are 
 Bricifh fiibjecls, and may juftly claim the com- 
 mon rights, and all rhe privileges of fuch, with 
 plainneis and freedom. And from what has 
 lately occurred, there is reafon to hope, that the 
 Parliament will ever hereafter be willing to hear 
 and grant our juli requefls ; efpecially if an}?" 
 grievances Jliould take place, io great, i^o ge- 
 neral and alarming, as to unite all the colonies 
 in petitioning for redrefs, as with one voic^. 
 The humble united prayers of three or four 
 miliio-n loyal fubjedls, fo conneded with Great 
 Britain, will not be thought unworthy of a fe- 
 rious attention ; efpecially when feconded by 
 fuch fpirited refolutions and conduct of the A- 
 merican Merchants, as they have lately given 
 an example of. Humble petitions, /o enforce J, 
 always carry great weight with them ; and, if 
 jufl: and reafonable, will doubtlefs meet with a 
 fuitable return, as in the late inftance ; iince 
 Great Britain can fcarce fubfift without the trade 
 of her colonies, which will be ftill increaling. 
 And an equitable, kind treatment of them, on 
 heniparrV'-'will firmly bind them to her by the 
 //;n?^M'f&ir^of dutyjinterefland filial affection ; 
 fuch an an one as the wife man fays, is not ea- 
 Jt I j: broken : This would do more, far more to 
 recaia the colonies in due fubjeCtion, than all 
 theiieets or troops fhe would think proper to fend 
 foi* :tbaC"^urpdfe. " 
 
 'yifb^^G\ E 2 But 
 
( 28 ) 
 
 hut to return ; we ought, in honor to bnr- 
 felves, as well as duty to the King and pariia- 
 menc, to fruflrate the malicious prf^phecies, if 
 not the hopes of fome perfons in Britain, who 
 have predicted the moll ungrateful and indecent 
 returns from us to our mother-country, for de- 
 liverance from the late grievances. It has been 
 foretold that, in confequence thereof, the co- 
 lonies would grow infolentand affuming ; that 
 they would afFecl a kind of triumph over the 
 authority of parliament ; that they would little 
 or nothing regard it hereafter, in other cafes ; 
 that they would give fome broad intimations 
 of their opinion, that it was not for want of 
 inclination, but of power, that the late grievous 
 Sic\ was not enforced ; that they would treat 
 their brethren in Britain in an unworthy, dif- 
 refpedful manner ; and the hke. Such things 
 as thefe have been predicted, and, probably, by 
 tbofe very/ow/d-rj who contrived the /w^jr^, from 
 which, to their great mortification, our foul is 
 now efcaped as a bird. Let us, my brethren, 
 .(for it is in our power, and it is our duty) make 
 fuch men falfe prophets, by a contrary beha- 
 viour ; " prophets of the deceit of /^f/r owfi 
 *^ hearts." This might, probably; vex theai 
 forely ; (Ince it is likely, their chief arm is, to 
 bring about a fixed, confirmi^d difafTedlion on 
 our part, and a fevere rcfentment on the other, 
 \vhile the jealous enemies of the growing pow- 
 er of Britain, wagg their ever-plotting- and en- 
 terprifing heads, faying, *' Aha ! fo wc would 
 *' have it. " Let us highly reverence the fu- 
 
 preme 
 
: (29 ) 
 
 .iri-i^r^iiie authority of the Britifh empire, which 
 'fiil tP us is the higheft-, under that of Ii^aven.— 
 'fi ^.Let us, as much as in us hes, culdvare har- 
 oriv.rnony and brotherly love between our fellow 
 jns iubjedls in Britain and ourfelves. We fhali 
 ^^t> ^^oubtlefs find our account in this at laft, 
 nascf^H*^^:^^^^ ^^^'^ i^ ^ contrary way of procee- 
 -00 #ng. There are no other people on earth, 
 jfirft that fo " naturally care for us." We are con- 
 3rij -jEe^^ed with them by theflrongefl ties ; in fome 
 3hiil Hieafure by ^/(5o^ ; for look but a century or 
 2oif two backhand you will find their anceftors and 
 noiiPurs, in a great meafure the fame perfons, tho' 
 o jfitheir pofterity is now fo divided. We are 
 i,r."..flrongly connected with them by a great com- 
 mercial intercourfe, by our common language, 
 by our common religion as proteftants, and 
 by being fubjeds of the fame King, whom 
 God long preferve and profper, while his e- 
 nemies are cloathed with Hiame. 
 
 If we confider things properly, it is indeed 
 our great felicity, our bell fecurity, and high- 
 efl glory in this world, to ftand in fuch a re- 
 lation as we do, to fo powerful an empire ; 
 
 one which rules the ocean, and wdierein the 
 
 ch iprinciplcs of liberty are in general predomi- 
 c2i frA¥"f' it: would be our mifery,if not our ruin, 
 fioiiS^^T^^e -cad ofT by Great-Britain, as unworthy 
 bo ^er farther regards. What then would it be, 
 )q gin anyfuppofeable way, to draw upon ourfelves 
 bfifithe whole weight of her juft refentment ! 
 )V7 -What are w^f in the hands of that nation, which 
 ^ri- fo lately triumphed over the united powers of 
 France and Spain > Though ic muii, indeed, 
 
 be 
 
( 30 ) 
 
 be acknowledged, that fhe did this, in a great 
 raeaiure, by means of her commercial iii- 
 tercourfe with, and aids from the colonies : 
 Without which (he muft probably have 
 made a more inglorious figure at the end, 
 than fhe did at the beginning of the lall war j 
 cv^en tho' Mr. Pitt himfclf had had the 
 io^e dire^^ion of it under his Majelly. — 
 Confider how many millions of people there < 
 sf^e in other countries, groaning in vain - 
 \inder- the iron fceptre of mercilefs defpotiim>^ 
 \vho, if they were but imperfecftly apprifed oftj 
 the happineis we enjo\^, would moii ardcndy^^i 
 defire to be in our fituation, and to ftand in the../ 
 like relati in to Great Britain. Let us not bci-? 
 inlenhble of our own felicity in this refpecl^v-> 
 jet us not entertain a thought of novelties or 
 innovations, or be " given to change." Let us ^ . 
 not indulge to any groundlefs jealoufics of iUx 
 intentions towards us in our mother-country,;^ 
 "whutever there may be in fome defigning in^,jj 
 di\iJuals, who do the devil's work, by fowingj, 
 dilcord. It is for the intereft of Britain, asJJj^r^ 
 luell kwrus, to retain the afre<^ion of tliefcgrpvyr^a-i 
 jn^ colonies, and to treat them kindly to thatni 
 end : And this bond of intereft on her part, t^.-ti 
 the flrcngcil: fccurity to us, which wc can^^"^ 
 have in any political relation whatever. W^yj^ 
 arc hound, i!i honor to the King and Parlja-: , ' 
 incnr, tofuppofe, that it was not for want of ^q 
 ability to enforce a late acl, and to crufli us,',£» 
 tlint" it was repealed ; but from a conviction of ^jo 
 the incxpediencv,the Jan^erons confequences, and -. 
 
 711 f^^ 
 
( 31 ) 
 
 rnany- inconvenlencies of continuing it. ^^. And 
 th'e like rearon« will probably operate forever 
 againfl: any ad of the fame nature, and grciy, 
 Itronger and flronger. 
 
 It can anfwer no valuable end^ for lis to 
 harbour grudges or fecret refentinent on ac- 
 count of reclfefled and pad grievances ; no 
 good end' wantonly and grofsly to infulr, and 
 thereby to incenfe any particular powerful 
 pcrfons on the other fide of the water, as the 
 fuppofed enemies of the colonies. To me 
 this feems;/impolitic at lead: ; as it may per- 
 haps make fuch perfons our enemies, if they 
 were not fo before ; or, if they were, fix their 
 enmity; and make them more indutlrious than 
 ever in feeking opportunities to do us mifchief. 
 Much lefs can it anfwer any good end, to af- 
 fcdl: to triumph over the pov^'er of Parliament : 
 This would, in fliort, appear equally infolent, 
 didoyal and ridiculous, in the eyes of all fober, 
 unprejudiced men. May God give us the wif- 
 dom to behave ourfelves w'lXh humility and 
 moderation, on the happy fuccefs of our late 
 remonftrances and druggies ! — We arc bound 
 in honor fo to behave, not only that we may 
 fruftrate the malignant predi^ions before re- 
 ferred to, but that we may anfwer the ju ft 
 cxpc6lation o^ our friends in Britain, who 
 fo nobly efpoufed our caufe, and, as it were, 
 pawned their own honor, (how great and 
 facred a pledge I ) for our good condu<fl:, if 
 our grievances were removed. By fuch an 
 engagement they did us honor,as it manifefted 
 their candid and kind fentimencs concerning 
 
 us. 
 
■ ( 32 ) 
 
 us, ,-^ This lays us under an additionarobligati-, 
 on,: in point of gratitude, to that good beh^r ' 
 viour, which would have been our duty with-, 
 out it. I cannot but here remind you part!- 
 cuiarly of the words of that in:imortal patriot 
 in Parliament, who has now a fecond time, 
 been the principal means offaving Britain and 
 her colonies from impending ruin.f " Say,** 
 fuid he, " the Americans have not in all things 
 " a6ted with prudence and temper : Thel' 
 " have been wrong'd ; they have been driven 
 " to naadnefs by injuIHce. Will you now pu-- 
 " ni(h them for the madnefs you have occalio- 
 " ncd ? Rather let prudence and temper come 
 " fir ft from this fide ; I w^ill undertake 
 '* FOR America that flic will follow the ex- 
 " ample."VVhatSON,eitherofAMERICAorof 
 LIBERTY is there, that has the leaft fpark of 
 ingenuity, who can help being touched and 
 penetrated to the inmoft recefTes of the heart, 
 by fuch magnanimous and generous exprefli- 
 ons in behalf of the colonies ? Who is there, 
 that would notalmoft as willingly die, as that 
 THAT illuftrious Patron of America lliould. 
 ever have occafion to be a(hamed of efpouilng^ 
 itscaufe, and making himfclf anfwerablc for 
 us ? We had other advocates of diftinguidied 
 eminence and worth, who generoufly came 
 under fimilar engagements for us. God for- 
 bid, my brethren, that any one of themfliould 
 ever have the leaft reafon to blufh for his ill 
 placed confidence in us ; as all of them will, 
 if wefhcw any unworthy behaviour towards 
 
 Che 
 ' t The Rt. Hon. Mr. PITT, 
 
( 33 ) 
 
 tlie King, the Parliament or our Mother-coun* 
 try, after this proof of their moderation, and 
 regard for us. And if Thej, our friends, ftiould 
 hive caufe to biufh for us in this rcfpc<^, what 
 mull: we do for ourfelves ! Where fnail we find 
 caverns far, enough removed from the light of 
 day, in which to hide our heads ! Or what rea- 
 fon fhall we have to expetH: friends, advocates 
 and fponfors again, how much foever we may 
 rfeed them, if we have no more regard for the 
 honor of thofe who appeared for us at the 
 late alarming crifis ; when it was accounted 
 ajmoll criminal to fay any thing in onr behalf? 
 
 Let me fubjoin, that as the good people of 
 this province had the honor to lead in a fpiritcd, 
 tho' decent and refpcclfui application for the 
 redrefs of our late grievances ; methinks they 
 ihould now be ambitious to have the honor 
 of leading in a prudent, temperate, wife beha- 
 viour, in confequcnce of the fuccefs ; and, if need 
 be, as 1 hope there is not, ambitious of fetting an 
 cxanVple of moderation and dlfcretion to other 
 colonics. This honor v/ould be equal to the 
 firfl mentioned ; and would probably recommend 
 iss grcaciv to thofr, whom, it v. ill always be our 
 3:ite^*ell: and duty to pleafe ; fo long, at leall, as 
 i^'t catV do it without renouncing our birth-right, 
 it will contribute to remove any impreflions that 
 may have been made of late, to our difad vantage. 
 It will at once gratify our bell friends, and falllfy 
 the ilanders of our enemies, who delight in re- 
 prcfenting us as a feditious, faftioLis and turbu- 
 lent fort of people, who cannot endure the 
 F wholfome 
 
V 34 . 
 
 rwholefoine and necelTary rcftraints of govern* 
 ment. May God rebuke them for, and forgive 
 them this wrong ! _ 
 
 Let none fufpeft that, becaufe I thus urge tKt 
 duty of cultivating a clofe harmony with qui 
 *irtoi her- country, and a dutiful fubmifllon to the 
 King and Parliament, our chief grievances being 
 redrefTed, I mean to di(I\vade people from having 
 a juH: concern for their own rights, or le^al,coi>- 
 ftitutional privileges. Hiftory, one may prefuhiic 
 to fay, aflbrds no example of any nation, coun- 
 try or people long free, who did not take fome 
 care of thcmfelves: and endeavour to guard and 
 fecure their own liberties. Power is of a grafp- 
 ing, encroaching nature, in all beings, except in 
 Him, to whom it emphatically " beiongeth" ; 
 and who is the only King that, in a religious or 
 moral fen fe, *'can do no wrong." Power aimsat 
 extending itfelf, and operating according to mere 
 -wiilf where-evcr it meets with no ballance, check, 
 controul or oppofition of any kind. For which 
 reafon it will always be neceilary, as was faid 
 before, for thofe who would preferve arid per- 
 petuate their liberties, to guard them with a 
 wakeful attention; and in all righteous, juil and 
 prudent ways, to oppofe the firfl encroachments 
 on them. '' Obfla principiis." After a while it 
 will be too late. For in the ftatcs and kingdoms 
 of this world, it happens as it does in the field 
 or church, according to the well-known parable, 
 to this purpofc; That while men Jleep, then the 
 tnnny comeih and foweth tares, whicli cannot be 
 rooted out again till the end of the ivorld, with-. 
 •out rooting out the ivhfat with them. ^f 
 
( 35 ) 
 
 *-^ff T may be indulged here in faying "a'fcW 
 ^Ords more, rerpe<^ing my notions of liberty -in 
 general, fuch as they are, it fhall be as follows. 
 ^'' Having been initiated, in youth, in "the doc- 
 ^}hes of civil liberty, as they were taught by 
 ^ch men as Plato, Demofthenes, Cicero and 
 cither renowned perfons among the ancients.; 
 "kiii fuch as Sidney and Milton, Locke and Hoad- 
 ley, among tiie moderns; I liked them; they 
 feemed rational. Having, earlier ftili learnt 
 frbm the holy fcriptures, that wife, brave and 
 Verrtuous men were always friends to liberty'; 
 that God gave the Ifraelites a King [or abfolute 
 Monarch] in his anger, bccaufe they had not ft^fe 
 and virtue enough to like a free common-wealth, 
 arid to have himfelf for their King; that the Son 
 8f God came down from heaven, to make us 
 -^^free indeed" ; and that " where the Spirit- of the 
 ■1>brd is, there is liberty"; this made me conclude, 
 that freedom \^as a great blefling. Having, alfo, 
 from my childhood up, by the kind providence 
 of my God, and the tender care o^ a good pa- 
 rent now at reft with Him, been educated to the 
 love of liberty, tho' not of licentioufnefs ; which 
 •-'Chafte and virtuous pafllon was ftill incrcafed in 
 '-fH^,- as I advanced towards, and into, manhood ; 
 - 1- would not, I cannot now, tho' pad middle age, 
 ^^I'elinquifh the fair object o£ my youthful affec- 
 ■■ tions. Liberty ; whofe- charms, infleadof de- 
 . caying with time in my eyes, have daily capti- 
 vated me more and more. I was, accordingly, 
 penetrated with the moll fenfible grief, when, 
 ^auf thcf'JI of November Jaf^ that day of dark- 
 F Z nefs 
 
C 36 ) 
 
 . Xiefs,.a day hardly to be numbered with the other 
 days of the year, She feemed about to take her 
 
 . jpnal departure from America, and to leave that 
 
 ^.Oigty Hag ^/jt;^/;>', the deformed child of Satan, 
 Jia her room, I am now filled, with a propor^ 
 tionablc degree of joy in God, on occafion tif 
 Hlr fpeedy return, with ncwfmileson her face, 
 •with augmented beauty and fplcndor.— — Of^ce 
 more then, Hail! ceicdial iVlaid, the daughter of 
 God, and, excepting his Son, the fjrd-lbor.n.^^f 
 heaven! Welcome to thefe fhores again; wel- 
 come to every expanding heart ! Long maycft 
 thou relidc among us, the delight of the wile, 
 good and brave ; the protertrefs of innocenj^e 
 from wrongs and opprefHon, the patroaefs of 
 learning, arts, eloquence, virtue, rational loyalty, 
 religion ! And if any mifcrable people on the 
 continent or ifles of Europe, after being weaken- 
 ed by luxury, debauchery, venaUty, ipteftine 
 quarrels, or other vices, fhould, in the rude 
 collifions, or now-unccrrain revolutions of 
 Ivingdoms, be driven, in their extremity, to 
 feek a fafe retreat from flavery in fome far- 
 diflant climate ; let them find, O let them 
 
 . fin4 one in America under thy brooding, 
 facred wings ; where dnr opprelTed fathers 
 once found it, and wc now enjoy it, by the 
 favor of Him, whofe fervice is the fnof^ glo- 
 rious freedom ! Never, O never may He per- 
 jnit thee to forfake us, for our unworthinefs ro 
 enjoy thy enlivcnins^ prcfcnce! By His high per- 
 i^ii/ilon, attend us thro' life and death to the 
 region? of the blcdcd, thy ordinal abode, there 
 
C 37 ) 
 
 1^-v'^ojoy forever the '* glorious liberty "of^'tKc 
 
 iM fons of God 1" — —But I forget myfelf ; whi^ 
 
 iGther have I been hurried by this enthufiafm, or 
 
 .-Sj^hateVer elfe you will pleafe to call i t ? I hope 
 
 your candor will forgive this odd excurdon, for 
 
 iilvhichl hardly know hovv to account myfelf. 
 
 i ^i * There were two or three things mOre which 
 
 3i'intended to fay relative to this joyful occafion. 
 
 ^o To go on then, thefe colonies are better than 
 
 ^<^ver apprifed of their own weight and confe- 
 
 Iqtaence, when united in a legal oppofition to 
 
 • iafiy unconftitutional, hard and grievous treat- 
 
 r^bent ; which may be an advantage to them. 
 
 '>God often bringeth good out of evil ; or what 
 
 % intended for evil by men, is by him meant for 
 
 ,^ood. So it was particularly in the memorable 
 
 -eife of Jofeph, whom his hard-hearted, envious 
 
 brethren fold as d.JIave into Egypt. There he 
 
 became great, and his Father and brethren were 
 
 at length obliged to have recourfe to him, to 
 
 keep them and their's from peri(hing. And 
 
 thus, not improbably, may good come out of 
 
 our late troubles, as well as out of thofe oppref- 
 
 iifions, which occafioned the flight of our fore- 
 
 , Others into the defarts of America. The great 
 
 ?.ihock which was lately given to our liberties, 
 
 vmay end in the confirmation and enlargement 
 
 of them : As it is faid, the (lately oaks of the 
 
 foreft take the deeper root, extend their ar>ms 
 
 the farther, and exalt their venerable heads the 
 
 higher for being agitated by dorms and rcrapcfts, 
 
 provided they are not aiftually torn up, rent in 
 
 piec€% or c[uite blaOed -by thf? lighrniDg of hcn- 
 
( 38 ) 
 
 wa. And who knows, our liberties being thus 
 eftabKfhed, but that on fome future occafioti^ 
 when the kingdoms of the earth are moved, arid 
 roughly dafhed one againfl another, by Him that 
 " take^h up the ijles as a very little thing," we, 
 or our poilerity may even have the great felicity 
 and honor to " fave much people alive," and 
 keep Britain herfelf from ruin. I hope fhe will 
 Xiever put it out of our power, by deftroying us'.; 
 or out of the inclination of any, by attempting iC. 
 It is to be hoped, the colonics will never abiife 
 0r raifapply any influence which they may have, 
 when united as aforefaid ; or difcover a fpirit of 
 murmuring, difcontent or impatience under the 
 government of Great Britain, fo long as they are 
 Juftly and kindly treated. On the other hand, 
 % is to be hoped, they will never lofe a ju[l rcnfe 
 of liberty, or what they may reafonably expcft 
 from the mother-country. Thefe thingis shcy 
 will keep in mind, if they are wife; and cuLti- 
 We a firm friendfhip and union with each other 
 u^pon equal terms, as far as diftince and other 
 drcumftances will allow. And if ever there 
 Ihould be OGcafion, as I finccrely hope and pray 
 there may not, their late experience and lliccefs 
 ^A^ill teach them how to a6l, in order to obtaio. 
 the redrefs of grievances ; I mean, by joint, man- 
 ly and fpiritcd, but yet refpe^tful and loyal peti- 
 liomng. Setting afide fome excefics and ont- 
 lages, whkh all fohcr men join in condemning^ 
 I believe hifl-ory affords few examples of a more 
 general, generous and jufl fcnfe of liberty in any 
 jaur.trv, than has. appealed ia Amcriea within 
 
 5k: 
 
( 39 ) 
 
 the year paft : In which time tlie mercantlk 
 part in particular have done themfelves mupfe 
 honor, and had a great fhare in prefervlng the 
 liberties of the plantations, when in the vrno^ 
 Imminent danger : Tho' this is not faid with the 
 leall: thought of refle*5ting on any other body of 
 order of men, as wanting in their endeavours to 
 the fame noble end. Had we patiently reteivecl 
 ^the yoke, no one can tell when, or whether cvet 
 it would have been taken off. And if there bt 
 fome animals/ adapted by nature to bear heavy 
 burdens fubmiffively, one of which, however, b 
 faid, on a certain occafion, to have had the gift of 
 Jpeech, and exportulatcd with his maftcr for an* 
 jullly fmiting him ; I hope the Americans wilt 
 never be reckoned as belonging to that fpiritleli^ 
 flavifli kl'nd, tho' their "powers of fpee<:h"t 
 ^ould not, in the opinion of fome namele% 
 heroic pamphlcteer-fcoffers in Britain, exceed 
 thofe of the other. Hov/ever defcOive they 
 may be in point of '* eioqence,"t I thank Godi 
 they can at iealt /eel^ and complain fo as to be 
 tolerab ly underJioQd. 
 
 ^.; If your patience will hold oui', I will add 3, 
 ^few Vvords further, by way of advice, and jo 
 ^cbnclude. While we endeavour to cultivate 
 harrnony and union with our mother-country 
 and our fiiler-colonies, in all generous and man*- 
 ly ways, v/e fhould not, furely, negled to culti- 
 vate the fame among ourfelves. 
 ^ There have, I am forry to fay it, but really 
 7.there have lately been many unvvarrai>table jea- 
 
 loufies, 
 t An abufive, fupcrficial pamphlet in 'favor of the roeafures cf 
 t\">. .<ate cnirjiilry. 
 
( 4<^ 
 
 lotifics, and bitter mutual reproaches amoftg 
 the people of this town and province, occa- 
 fioned by that unhappy mcafure, which has been 
 fo often referred to. Even wife and good men, 
 tho' all equally againfl that meafure, could n<H» 
 however, agree what was to be done, upon 
 the maxims of prudence, tho' alike concerned 
 for the public vv^fare. Accordingly fome were 
 blamed as too warm and languine, others as too 
 phlegmatic and indifferent, in the common and 
 noble caufe of liberty. Many were cenfured, 
 .and fome, I am well affured, very unjuftly, as 
 •^feeing freinds to, and cncouragers of, the fatal 
 'mcafure aforefaid. But how far thefe accufations 
 were jufl: or unjuft, on either fide, I will not take 
 upon me particularly to determine. Be that as 
 it may, is it not bell, my Brethren, to let thefe 
 contentions fubfide, now the end is obtained, 
 and we have (o fair a profpe^t before us? Are 
 there any valuable ends to be anfwercd by per- 
 petuating thefe difputes ? I cannot readily con- 
 ceive any : Perhaps it is, becaufe I have lefs pene- 
 tration than moil others. Be it as it v.ill, I 
 know One, and One whom we all profefs to 
 reverence, who hath laid, " BlefTedare thtpeac€- 
 *^ makers^ for they fhall be called the child'ren 
 " of God." And, "Let us iludy the things that 
 ** make for peace,'' faid he that was not behind the 
 chief of the apoftles, " and the things wherewith 
 " one may edify another." Thefe fayings may 
 apologize for me, if I am wrong in ** preaching 
 peace" at this time. And if none will be offend- 
 ed with me for fpeaking plainly as to this matter, 
 
 To 
 
I 41 ) 
 
 To-me it really feems mod prudent, mofl: chrif- 
 tiah, t;o bury in oblivion what is paft ; to be- 
 gin our civil, political life anew as it were, from 
 diis joyful and glorious sera of reflored and con- 
 firmed liberty; to be at union among ourfelves; 
 to abftain from all part j names and national re- 
 flexions, refpeftinganyofour fellow fubiecls ; 
 arid to exert ourfelves', in our feveral ftations, 
 to promote the common good, " by love fer- 
 f' ving one another." Let lis^tiake allowances 
 mutually for human frailty, for our different 
 tiews'and conceptions of things, which may 
 
 .^e in a great meafure unavoidable; for difference 
 of natural conflitution, an unequal flow of ani- 
 mal fpirits, or ftrength of nerves : Let no one 
 cenfure another more hardly, if at all, than the 
 
 Jpecellity of the cafe plainly requires„ I hope 
 
 Jhefe counfels of peace will not be difrelifhed 
 lijby any " Son of peace," or any wife and good 
 
 ■ man, that does me the honor to be my auditor 
 on this occafion ; for I mean not to give of- 
 fence, but only to do good. Such counfels as 
 they are, I humbly commend them to the God 
 of love and peace, to whofeholy will I believe 
 them agreeable,f or his blefling ; that they may 
 have their juft influence on all that hear them. 
 
 , And you will not forget, that we muft all one 
 ^;^^ay give an account to Him ; fo that it nearly 
 \.*,<:oncerns us to have our ways, motives, and all 
 y'our doings approved by him. In fine, 
 
 Let us all apply ourfelves with diligence, and 
 
 in the fear of God, to the duties of our refpec- 
 
 G tive 
 
( 42 ) 
 
 uveftaclons. There has been a general diflipa^ 
 tion amdiig us for a long time; a great negle£t 
 aiitl ftagnation of bufinefs. Even the poor^ 
 and labouring part of the community, whom 
 i am very far from defpifing,ha\e had Jo much 
 to -fay about government and politics, in thh© 
 lute times of danger, tumult and.«:.CQi^fi4ijai^ 
 tharm-iny of them feemcJ. ta fcj^t^, ,y.^^ey-)ii^^f 
 any t king^ to do. r;:cchink§,:.Jf5^IYp.i4i^~A§WiMl 
 c^p-edicut for ibcfji, ^and perhaps ..i>.>r>rrDrt4>(-% 
 \.-,, to'So-fbmediing more, and talk Ibmer.Hri-gv 
 L-'^s ; -every one '' iludying to be quiet, and t^o? 
 ^^Kxoii/^ bufinefs;" letting things jcturn peace- 
 ably into their old channels, and natural couifss^;; 
 after {o long an interruption. My immediate 
 aim in what I now fay, being only to recom- 
 mcnd induflry, good order and harmony, 
 I will not meddle with the thorny queftion,^ 
 whether, or how far, it may be juftinable for^ 
 private men, at certain extraordinary. conjunc-. 
 t:ire3, to take the adminillration of government 
 in , prne reJpech into their own hands. Self-' 
 prefervation being a great and primary law of j 
 nature, and to be CQi:ifidercd as antecedent tp. > 
 all civil laws and inftitutions, v^hich^areiubor- i 
 dinare and fubfervient to the other ; tji^* right ^ 
 of fo doing, infome circum(l:ances,ca,anot \Yerit, 
 be denied. Biit' certainly, there is no plaufible 
 pretence for fuch a conduct among us ;7«?'w/* 
 Thar which may be excufeable, and perhaps , 
 hudable, on fome very fmgular emergencies, -: 
 woukf. at othci^ times be pragmatical, feditious^ 
 
 and 
 
( 43 ) 
 
 afliJ^1^%h-handed prefumption. Let all therer 
 fere flow join with heart and hand in fupporting 
 the lawful, eonftitutional government over us 
 fefit^ jull dignity and vigor j in iupporting his 
 Majerty's Reprefentative, the civil magiftrates, 
 and all perfons in authority, in the lawful ex^ 
 ercife<)f their feveral offices. No true friend of 
 liberty can reafonably obje^i againft this ; and 
 if any perfons Ihould, it would Ihew that, while 
 they fpeak great f welling words of vanity, ma- 
 king liberty the pretext, they themfelves are the^> 
 ffervants of corruption, the ignoble flaves of fin. 
 Withotst this due regard to government and 
 laws/ \Ve (hall flill be mifefable, my friends, 
 iit)twith(Vahding all thatGod and the King have 
 done td make us happy. If one had wings 
 like a dove, it were better to fly far away, and 
 remain alone in the wildernefs, where he might 
 b'e at reft, than to live in a fociety where there 
 is- no orddr, no fubordination ; but anarchy 
 atid Gohfufion reign. Of thefe we have furely 
 hadenough already ; tho' at the fame time I 
 blefs God, that there has not been much more, 
 confidering the great danger in which we hav^ 
 been, with the general alarm and confternation, 
 by reafon of that which is faid to make "even 
 a^Wife'man mad," and much more the rafh and 
 indilcrete ■ of whom there is a great proportion 
 in all communities ; confidering alfo the abfo- 
 lute ncceifity there was, or at lead feeraed to 
 be, of fume very uncommon ftruggles and ex- 
 crtionSj in order to break the fnare^ and the 
 
 natural 
 
:( 44 ) 
 
 natural irapetuofity of many pcople*s tempers. 
 So important a change in the fituation of pub- 
 lic aifairs, fo great a deliverance, has, perhaps, 
 feldom been brought about in any country, 
 with fo little criminal excefs, unlefs it were 
 done by God alone, without the inftrumenta- 
 lity or agency, of men, by nature liable to fo 
 jnany errors and infirmities. But whatever 
 there has been of this kind, ought to be, and I 
 hope is, lamented by all good men. May that 
 God, in whom our help has been, continue to 
 proted us, our rights and privileges ! May he 
 dired our paths thro* this uncertain life, and 
 all the changes of it ; and, of his infinite mer- 
 cy in Jefus Chrift, finally bring us all to thofe 
 peaceful and glorious regions, where no evil 
 fpirits, no wicked foiulers will come ; where 
 j\o fnares will be fpread for us ; no proud waters 
 ta go over our foul ! And if we hope for admif- 
 fion into thofe eternal manfions of joy, let eve- 
 ry one of us, as theapoflle Peter exhorts, " ho- 
 " nor all men, love the brotherhood, fear GOD, 
 ** honor the King." 
 
 A M E N ! 
 
i^^^