But the balance of Oceana changing quite contrary to that of
Rome, the manners of the people were not thereby corrupted, but,
on the contrary, adapted to a commonwealth. For differences of
opinion in a people not rightly informed of their balance, or a
division into parties (while there is not any common ligament of
power sufficient to reconcile or hold them) is no sufficient
proof of corruption. Nevertheless, seeing this must needs be
matter of scandal and danger, it will not be amiss, in showing
what were the parties, to show what were their errors.
The parties into which this nation was divided, were temporal
or spiritual; and the temporal parties were especially two, the
one royalists, the other republicans, each of which asserted
their different causes, either out of prudence or ignorance, out
of interest or conscience.
For prudence, either that of the ancients is inferior to the
modern, which we have hitherto been setting face to face, that
anyone may judge, or that of the royalist must be inferior to
that of the commonwealths man. And for interest, taking the
commonwealths man to have really intended the public, for
otherwise he is a hypocrite and the worst of men, that of the
royalist must of necessity have been more private. Wherefore, the
whole dispute will come upon matter of conscience, and this,
whether it be urged by the right of kings, the obligation of
former laws, or of the oath of allegiance, is absolved by the
balance.
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