Wesley Corpus

They publish addresses, petitions, remonstrances, directed nominally to the King, (otherwise they would not answer the end,) but really to the people. Herein their orators make use of all the powers of rhetoric. They bring forth their strong reasons,--the very best which the cause will bear. They set them off with all the beauty of language, all the poignancy of wit. They spread their writings in pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, &c., to every corner of the land. They are indefatigable in their work; they never stop to take breath; but as they have tongues and pens at command, when one has done, another begins, and so on and on with a continuance. By this means. the flame spreads wider and wider; it runs as fire among the stubble. The madness becomes epidemic, and no medicine hitherto has availed against it. The whole mation sees the: State in danger, as they did the Church sixty years ago; and the world now wonders after Mr. Wilkes, as it did then after. Dr. Sacheverel. One means of increasing the ferment is the suffering no contradiction; the hooting at all who labour for peace, and treading them down like dirt; the using them just as they do the King, without either justice or mercy. If any writes on that head, presently the cry is raised, “O, he only writes for pay !” But, if he does, do not those on the other side too?. Which are paid best I do not know; but doubtless both are: paid, a very few old-fashioned mortals excepted, who, having nothing to hope, and nothing to fear, simply consider the good of their country. “But what do you think the end will be?” It is easy to foresee this. Supposing things to take their natural course, they must go from bad to worse. In stipulam veluti cum flamma furentibus Austris Incidit, aut rapidus montano flumine torrens Eriit, oppositasque evicit gurgite moles.* The people will be inflamed more and more; the torrent will swell higher and higher, till at length it bursts through all opposition, and overflows the land. The consequences of these commotions will be (unless an higher hand interpose) exactly the same as those of the like commotions in the last century.