defenfive or otherwife neceffary. Men are oftentimes excited to offenfive wars by their evil lufts, or engage wantonly in them: but defenfive wars are dictated by nature; and found policy may, in fome circumftances, render the other highly expedient. What people foever therefore argue or declare, as fome do, against even defenfive war, directly oppofe one of the principal laws of nature, and consequently are either extremely pufillanimous, or infatuated by a moft pernicious and deftructive spirit of enthufiafm,-a Spirit which, if it generally prevailed in any nation, must be the means of that nation becoming a prey to the first invader.

Still much more pernicious to these kingdoms, because a much greater number of people, and many of them in power, are poffeffed by it, is a Spirit of oppofition to a numerous, well-trained, and useful militia. Without this natural, most necessary, and only effectual defence and fecurity, our nation will always be, as it is particularly at this time, in apparent danger. from foreign enemies, and not near so fafe in regard to enemies among ourselves as that would render us.

A ftanding army, fufficiently numerous to fe¬ cure this country in cafe of an invafion, would not only be an intolerable burden and expence, but expofe our liberties to the utmost danger. And for a nation which has the certain means

of

of fafety in its own power, to depend on the: precarious affiftance of foreigners for its defense, is directly contrary to all rules of good fenfe, and a ftrange folecism in politics.

There are people, whom experience of past and even recent dangers of the most interesting kind will not make wife unto their own prefervation. We feem already to have forgot that we were but a few years fince brought to the brink of deftruction by five or fix thousand ragamuffins, the very off-fcowring of the whole island. There wanted indeed nothing but their being fupported by a fmall number of foreign forces, which it is aftonishing they were not, to have completed the conqueft of this kingdom, confifting, as is commonly computed, of about eight millions of inhabitants. And 'tis easy to forefee, perhaps the evil day is at hand, that this country will, unless vigorous measures are immediately taken, be enflaved or destroyed for want of a fafeguard in our power to provide and establish; and which if established, no enemy would dare to invade us. We should in that cafe, with the joint protection of our maritime force, a confiderable part of which might then be employed to great advantage in the American and other feas, be in as perfect fecurity as the nature of things will admit. So protected, "we might fit under our "own vines and under our own fig-trees, and "there would be none to make us afraid."

It is commonly faid, that a fuperiority at fea will fecure us. Nothing can be more evident than that this will not abfolutely do it. But fuppofing it would, -are we certain of always maintaining this fuperiority? Nay, by what does it appear that we are now fuperior to the French at fea? Have they not, fince the declaration of war, taken at least as many of our Ships as we have taken of theirs? Have they not infulted us all round the ifland on our coafts, and made prize of many veffels within fight of our harbours? Have they not fwept the coast of Guinea of all the ships they found there? Have they not fafely transported great numbers of troops, and great quantities of ammunition, provifions, &c. to North America? which country, and confequently all our Weft-India iflands, we are in danger of lofing. Have they not taken from us the very valuable island of Minorca? In a word, have they not fucceeded in every naval expedition they have undertaken against us fince this war began? And have we fucceeded in one we have undertaken against them? Are thefe proofs of our fuperiority at fea? But should it be admitted that a proper management of our marine force, in the conduct of which there have been most notorious and scandalous defects, would render us, at present, fuperior on that element to the French; yet a conqueft which feems eafy for them to make, or

Spain joining with France, would turn the balance even at fea entirely against us. If these events, or either of them, fhould happen, what must then, as we are now circumftanced, become of our religion, our laws, our liberties, and all that is dear to us? But were they to happen, yet all those ineftimable benefits might be preserved by fuch a militia as we are capable of forming".

To the want of this fecurity at home, our ·late fatal and ignominious loffes, both in the Mediterranean and in America, may with juftice be principally imputed: for had not fo great a part of our fleet been kept in our own ports or in thefe feas to prevent an invafion, which precaution a proper militia would have rendered unnecessary, thofe fquadrons might not only have preserved our foreign dominions, but alfo greatly diftreffed our enemies.

This affair of a militia being a matter of the utmost importance to the fafety of our country, it is hoped the reader, especially at so critical a juncture, will excuse the mentioning it here, tho", fomewhat foreign to the subjects of the following Treatifes, to which we shall now return.

The occafion of writing the two letters that precede thefe Effays, will appear by the letters themfelves but it may be neceffary to give a reason why they are bere inferted.

This was written before the late militia at passed; but that appearing so ineffectual, the author thinks he need not alter what he had wrete. ·

Nothing more was at firft defigned to be wrote by the author on Cruelty and War, than would bave been comprised in two or three epiftles, which were not intended for the public: but the worthy perfon to whom thofe above-mentioned were addreffed, dying foon after they were written, the fubjects of them made fuch an impreffion on the writer, and were thought of fo much concernment to mankind in general, that be has added largely to his firft defign. Thefe letters therefore having occafioned the following Differtations, and being mostly on the fame fubjects, it was thought proper they should be publifhed with them.

When War, and Cruelty in general, had been treated of, fo large a branch of this latter as Religious Cruelty in particular, -a branch bringing forth fuch poisonous fruit, and upon ✓ which fuch numbers of unclean birds build their nefts, could not well efcape notice.

Among the various kinds of barbarity which the human fpecies have exercised upon one another, certainly this is the moft without excuse. Men are oftentimes urged by extreme poverty and want to commit private and common robberies, and murders that frequently accompany them in cafe of duels or wars, provocations are generally alledged: but what provocation can any man or body of men pretend, or what excufe can they find for exercifing the most bor

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