having his farm screwed up to the
height, not eating one comfortable meal in a year, nor able to find
shoes for his children.

[Footnote 9: To cant means to call for bidders at an auction sale.
Probably derived from the O. French _cant = quantum_ = how much. [T.S.]]

I know not any advantage that can accrue by such a bill, except the
preventing of perjury in jurymen, and false dealing in tenants; which is
a remedy like that of giving my money to an highwayman, before he
attempts to take it by force; and so I shall be sure to prevent the sin
of robbery.

I had wrote thus far, and thought to have put an end; when a bookseller
sent me a small pamphlet, entitled, "The Case of the Laity, with some
Queries;" full of the strongest malice against the clergy, that I have
anywhere met with since the reign of Toland, and others of that tribe.
These kinds of advocates do infinite mischief to OUR GOOD CAUSE, by
giving grounds to the unjust reproaches of TORIES and JACOBITES, who
charge us with being enemies to the Church. If I bear an hearty
unfeigned loyalty to his Majesty King George, and the House of Hanover,
not shaken in the least by the hardships we lie under, which never can
be imputable to so gracious a prince: If I sincerely abjure the
Pretender, and all Popish successors; if I bear a due veneration to the
glorious memory of the late King William, who preserved these kingdoms
from Popery and slavery, with the expense of his blood, and hazard of
his life: And lastly, if I am for a proper indulgence to all dissenters;
I think nothing more can be reasonably demanded of me as a WHIG, and
that my political catechism is full and complete. But whoever, under the
shelter of that party denomination, and of many great professions of
loyalty, would destroy, or undermine, or injure the Church established;
I utterly disown him, and think he ought to choose another name of
distinction for himself, and his adherents. I came into the cause upon
other principles, which, by the grace of God, I mean to preserve as long
as I live. Shall we justify the accusations of our adversaries? _Hoc
Ithacus velit_--The Tories and Jacobites will behold us with a malicious
pleasure, determined upon the ruin of our friends: For is not the
present set of bishops almost entirely of that number, as well as a
great majority of the principal clergy? And a short time will reduce the
whole, by vacancies upon death.

An impartial reader, if he pleases to examin