To this is answer’d, that there are other difficulties in the general scheme of providence as hard to be solved; as that, whole families are involved in misery by the mismanagement of their ancestor; the entailment of chronick and terrible disorders on children by the debaucheries of a father, for that it is wrong intolerable, and against reason to punish children for the crimes of their fathers. But all these difficulties which seem to clash with the wisdom and goodness of God, are rectify’d in a future state, for which we are manifestly fitted and design’d.
Fog’s Journal, Jan. 16. No. 121.
This paper begins with a piece of humourous irony; observing that as criticks never appear so disappointed as when they meet with beauties in an author; so the present sett of disaffected political writers conceive no small joy to see their country involv’d in difficulties; nor can they be worse mortified than to see this nation flourish in trade, wealth and credit.
That Osborne (writer of the London Journal) and Walsingham (of the Free Briton) affirm, That the present crew of factious writers proceeds on this principle. Descants upon the measures for some years past; the destruction of the Spanish Fleet in the Mediterranean, whereby Sicily was gain’d for the Emperor, and the preservation of the balance of Europe so ill settled by that wicked treaty of Utrecht.
Mentions some of the great Actions which have stirr’d up the envy of the disaffected; as, the sending annual fleets into the Baltick; the treaty of Hanover; the maintaining a body of Hessian troops; sending squadrons to the coasts of Spain and the West-Indies, the expedition to Spithead and lastly, the treaty of Seville. This last, he ironically says, had like to have kill’d the disaffected quite, because it was so wisely calculated for establishing a general tranquillity, and for the advancing the trade of Great Britain!
He goes on throwing his sarcasms at the writers on the side of the present ministry, who having challeng’d the disaffected to show any one step taken destructive of the true interest of their country, instances in the opening the harbour of Dunkirk, the Island of St. Lucia planted by the French; raising recruits in Ireland for the service of France; all which the two writers aforemention’d, convinced the world were groundless, by telling the authors of these reports, they lyed.
He makes some reflections on Mr. Osborne’s observations of the ill conduct of the ministry in the latter end of Q. Anne’s reign; as the endeavours to break the power of the Dissenters, and to weaken the security of the Hanover succession; setting aside the Quaker’s affirmation; the disbanding the army. All which Fog laughs at! and concludes with his surprize, that when he considers with how much good sense these two writers have exposed the actions of that Tory ministry, and how they have defended the measures of the present, there should be a disaffected person left in the kingdom.
Fog’s Journal, Jan. 23. No. 123.
This Paper consists of reflections on a pamphlet, intituled, A Defence of the Measures of the present Administration.
He begins with the observation which the author had made: “That complaints and outcries are no foundation for supposing defects in publick counsels; for in a frame of government like ours, a continuance of the same administration will always lessen the popularity of the ministry.