274 
right, however, to call out an emeritus 
profeffor to this tafk ; but if any one of 
his hearers would be kind enough to 
point out the fufpicious doétrines, witha 
flight fketeh of the arguments, in favour 
ef the profeffor and the fyndics, he 
would much oblige many young tyrves in 
divinity, as well as a great admirer of 
Dr. Heys perfpicuity and orthodoxy, 
and your conftant reader, 
FOENICULUS. 
To the Editor of the Mouthiy Magazine. 
SIR, 
s LTHOUGH in a free country it 
++ may be thought a flavifh maxim, 
that men m private life fhould pay no 
regard to public affairs, but leave them 
ro thofe who are appointed to condudt 
them; yet l em perfuaded that this max- 
im, cr rather advice, properly under- 
ftood, would produce the happieft effects. 
In order, therefore, that it may not be 
mifunderitoed, F would mike this {mall 
amendment: ‘* Mind your own affairs 
(ji, and what time you find can he {pared 
from them, beftow iton the public cor- 
cerns, and bring your private virtues and 
your private experience inte the public 
fteck.” ; 
Now, fir, if the advice thus qualified, 
‘be taken, I am certain, that in a very 
Short time amen might become both good 
citizens and fkilful politicians, inftead of 
figuring away only in the Jatter charac- 
ter, as fuccefsfully as a man would bu ld 
beufes who had no matertak. Politics 
furely require fome f{chool for taflruc- 
tion, and I know not any fchool fo ex- 
cellent-as a man’s own family. 
If we confder what 13 in a family, we 
fhall find, that it contains everv branch, 
of government,of executive and legiflative 
power in miniature ; fmall, indced, parva 
magnis compefita, yet enough for the life 
and talents of any one man to conduét 
wits witdom, and to fuftain with firm- 
nafs. Jt is the more neceffary, fir, thata 
man who aims at being a ftate{man, fhould 
begin with demeftic politics, becaufe he 
may, at home, liave a great deal of prac- 
fice upon thofe important queitions 
which agitate the great world: fome of 
which IT thall beg leave to notice. 
And, firft, fir, it feems to be a diipu- 
ted point, whether senarchy or republi- 
canijm be the beft form of government. 
That difpute, upon the great fcale, we 
leave to kings and people ; but, upon 
the domeftic feale, we find that it is a 
continual difpare wherein the balance of 
power refides. Some have been of opi- 
Similitude of Doméftic and National Poltttcs. 
(Oa. 
nion’ that the hnfband is king, prefident, 
or ftadtholder, or principal governor : 
fome have put on the ftate of emperors, 
while othets have ruled hke Bathaws. 
Fn general, however, moft contend for ab- 
folute power, and, while s few have ufed 
that power wilcly, others have employed 
it only to the deftrudtion of the happine(s 
of their fubje&ts. But, fir, if we allow 
that the monarchical branch is eonfided in 
the hufband, by what denomination fhalf 
we mark the duties and ftation of the 
confort? Is fhe queen, and feccnd per- 
fonage in the Kingdom, entitled to near: 
the {ame hogours and refpeét. and from 
whom a progeny only is expected, as the 
price of her high ftation, or, ts there 
not, in many cafes, fuch a perpetual 
ftruggle for fupreme power between 
thofe great perfonages, that it has never 
yet been determined in whom the exe- 
cutive privileges refide ? 
T prefume, that if a man will try his 
fkill in refolving this queftion, he may 
come forwards into public life with a 
much better notion of what belongs te 
the power of the crown, than he can get 
merely by reading mnewfpapers and 
pamphlets. If, for example, he is a 
friend to the monarchical form of go- 
vernment, he will fee the many mrf- 
chiefs that arife from the monarch being | 
over perfuaded by his confort, or by the 
favourites fhe may recommend to him; 
and he may learn how wife and prudenc 
a thing it 1s to make ufe of his own eyes 
and ears, and not put thefe valuable or- 
gains into the hands of commuillioners. 
‘Fhis isno contemptible branch of expe- 
rience,.efpecially at a time when very. 
frequent rebellions take place m domef- 
tic governments, and when the ftruggle 
for power is kept up at no little ex~ 
pence to the parties, and often ends in 
a partition of the dominions that com- 
pletely difturb the fucceflion, and renders 
the title of the heirs-apparent very 
doubtful. . 
In whatever manner this queftion may 
be finally fettled, whether domeftie mo- 
narchy, or domeftic repubdlicanif{m, fhall 
prevail, there is much reafon to dread 
that the conteft will be long and obfti- 
nate, becaufe the /udjed?s of the reigning 
fovereign are divided in their opinions, 
and what is very remarkable, have fided 
fo long with the weaker party as to make 
it the ftrongeft. By fubjeéts, I mean 
children and fervants, m the government 
of whom fo much fkill is required, that 
he who has attained it, may come for- 
ward, upon the great political ftage, a 
= better 
