Wesley Corpus

FREE Though TS ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS. 15 nothing before the time; to abstain, as far as possible, from judging peremptorily, either of things or persons, till thc time comes, when “the hidden things of darkness,” the facts now concealed, “will be brought to light,” and the hidden springs of action will be discovered,--“the thoughts and intents of" every human “heart.” Perhaps you will say, “Nay, every Englishman is a politi cian; we suck in politics with our mother's milk. It is as natural for us to talk politics as to breathe; we can instruct both the King and his Council. We can in a trice reform the State, point out every blunder of this or that Minister, and tell every step they ought to take to be arbiters of all Europe.” I grant, every cobbler, tinker, porter, and hackney-coachman can do this; but I am not so deep learned: While they are sure of everything, I am in a manner sure of nothing; except of that very little which I see with my own eyes, or hear with my own ears. However, since you desire me to tell you what I think, I will do it with all openness. Only please to remember, I do not take upon me to dictate eithcr to you or to any one. I only use the privilege of an English man, to speak my naked thoughts; setting down just what appears to me to be the truth, till I have better information. At present, indeed, I have not much information, having read little upon this head but the public papers; and you know these arc mostly on one side; in them little is to be seen on the other side; and that little is seldom wrote by masterly writers. How few of them have such a pen as Junius ! But supposing we have cver so much information, how little can one rely on it! on the information given by either party For is not onc as warm as the other? And who does mot know how impossible it is for a man to sce things right when he is angry? Does not passion blind the eyes of the understanding, as smoke does the bodily eyes?