avert an impending Storm. Upon approach of a Rebellion, he will be
thoroughly sensible from what Quarter his greatest Danger is to be
expected, whereby it will be entirely his own Fault, if he be without
a sufficient Guard against it, which he could not be appriz'd of (with
any certainty) without a general Liberty of Writing: And tho' Slander
must occasion a great deal of Uneasiness to a crown'd Head, the Power
of bestowing Favours on Friends only is no small Satisfaction to the
Prince, and a sufficient Punishment to his Enemies. And it is my
Opinion, that the Grand Sultan, and other Eastern Potentates, would be
in a great deal less danger of Deposing, (a Practice very frequent of
late) if in some measure a Liberty of Writing was allow'd; for the
Eyes of the People would be open, as well for as against their Prince,
and their fearing a worse Evil should succeed, might make them easy
under a present Oppression.

As for Confusion in the Church, I look upon this to be the greatest
Objection that can be raised; but then it must be allow'd, that
without Writing the Reformation (the Glory of our Religion) could
never have been effected; and in respect to religious Controversies,
tho' I own they are seldom attended with good Consequences, yet I must
beg leave to observe, that as the Age we now live in, is more bright
and shining in substantial Literature than any preceding Century, so
the generality of Mankind are capable of judging with such an
Exactness as to avoid a Bad; not but, I confess, I think many of the
Persons concern'd in the Controversy lately on foot, with relation to
the Bishop of _Bangor's_ Sermon, preach'd before His Majesty, deserve
to be stigmatiz'd, as well for their indecent Heat, as for the
Latitude taken with regard to the Holy Scriptures. And for the last
Objection, I never knew that Writing was any ways destructive to
Liberty, unless it was in a Pamphlet, [entitled King-Killing no