Q. Does not every Man give up his Liberty, to the Government of the Political Society, whereof he is a Member?

A. Mankind give up fome part of their Natural Liberty to the Government for the Benefit of Society and mutual Defence (for in Political Society an Infant has the whole Force of the Community to protect him) but no Man can make himfelf a Slave.

Q. Why?

A. Because no Man can give an abfolute Dominion over his Life, for that is not in his Power and belongs only to his Creator.

Q. How comes it then that the Civil Magiftrate has a Right to take away Lives?

A. Because by the Laws of Nature, every Man has a Power of taking away the Life of another in Self-defence, which Power is given up to the Magiftrate, and which Power returns to every Man, when the Magiftrate cannot defend him, as in the Cafe of being attack'd with fudden and lawless Violence. Q. Has not the Magiftrate a Power to compel thee to be of what Religion he thinks fit.

4. No, Because neither in the State of Nature, nor in the State of Civil. Society, has any Man an abfolute Power over another Man's Mind or Confcience; from whence it follows, that in the first of thofe States, no Man could give the Magiftrate a Power which he hath not to give: and that in the Second of thofe States, the Exercife of this Power is impoffible; Compulfion without Conviction making a Man an Hypocrite, that is a Criminal, but can never fecure the publick Peace. Q. Wherein does this Liberty which thou enjoyeft confin?

A. In Laws made by the Confent of the People,

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aid the due Execution of thofe Laws; I am free not from the Law, but by the Law.

Q. Wilt thou ftand faft in this Liberty whereunto thou art born and entitled by the Laws of thy Country?

A. Yes verily, by God's Grace I will; and I thank his good Providence that I am bom a Member of a Community governed by Laws and not by Arbitrary Power.

Q. What do'st thou think incumbent upon thee to fecure this Bleffing to thyself and Pofterity?

A. As I am a Freeholder, I think it incumbent upon me, to believe aright concerning the fundamental Articles of the Government to which I am fubject; to write, fpeak, and act on all Occafions conformably to this Orthodox Faith, to oppose with all the Powers of my Body and Mind, fuch as are Enemies of our good Constitution, together with all their fecret and open Abettors, and to be obedient to the King the fupreme Magiftrate of the Society.

Q Rehearfe unto me the Articles of thy Political Creed?

A. I believe that the Supreme or Legislative Power of this Realm refides in the King, Lords, and Commons; That his Majefty King George the Second is Sovereign or Supreme Executor of the Law, to whom upon that account all Loyalty is due. That each of the three Members of the Legislature are endowed with their particular Rights, and Offices; that the King by his Royal Prerogatives has the Power of determining and appointing the Time and Place of Meeting of Parliaments. That the Confent of King, Lords, and Commons, is neceffary to the Being of a Law, and all the three make but one Lawgiver. That as to the Freedom of Confent in making of Laws, thofe three Powers A 3

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are independent, and that each and all the three are bound to obferve the Laws that are made.

Q. Why is the Legislative Power Supreme? A. Because what gives Law to all, must be Supreme. Q. What mean't thou by Loyalty to the King? A. I have heard that Loy fignifies Law; and Loyalty, Obedience, according to Law; therefore he who pays this Obedience is a loyal Subject, and he who executes the King's Command when contrary to Law is difloyal and a Traitor.

Q. Is it not a Maxim in the Law, that the King can do no Wrong?

A. It is: For fince Kings do not act immediately. by themselves, but mediately by their Officers, and inferior Magiftrates; the Wifdom of the Law provides fufficiently against any undue Exercise of their Power, by charging all illegal Acts, and all kinds of Male-Adminiftration upon their Minifters: by the great regard which is paid to the King by this Maxim, laying him under an indifputable Obligation, not to fkreen his Minifters from Publick Jufice or Publick Enquiry.

Q. What do ji thou mean by the Royal Prerogative? A. A Difcretionary Power in the King to act for the Good of the People where the Laws are filent, never contrary to Law, and always fubject to the Limitations of the Law.

Q. Doeft thou owe no other Duty to the King but Obedience according to Law?

A. Yes. I am bound to pray for him, to honour him, to behave myfelf refpectfully towards him, and to fpeak refpe&tfully of him, as, it is written, Thou shalt not speak Evil of the Ruler of the People..

Q. Thou hast promifed that in order to preferve this thy Liberty, thou wilt refift to the utmost of thy Power the Enemies of our good Conftitution; who are thafe Enemies ?

A. Such

A. Such as deny the Title and Authority of the King who is acknowledg'd to be fo by the Legifla ture: Such as by the Heretical Doctrines exalt the Royal Authority above the Laws: Such as endeavour to destroy the Authority and Independence of any of the three Members of the Legislature.

Q. How comes it that denying the Title and Authority of the King, who is acknowledged by the two Branches of the Legislature, is fubverting a fundamental Law of the Conftitution?

A. Becaufe if private Judgment is to be opposed to that of the Publick, there can be no Peace in that Society: Besides every Man in the Society is fuppofed to have given his Affent in that Matter already, for the Act of the Majority is the Act of every Individual.

Q. What are thofe Heretical Doctrines which exalt the King's Authority above the Laws.

A. Afferting, That there is fomething particu larly Divine in Kingly Government, as being the firft Government of the World, and appointed by God. And that there is in Kings an Authority and Hereditary Right of Succeffion independent of the Laws.

Q. How canft thou prove thofe to be heretical and falfe Doctrines?

A. Because they are fo far from being founded upon Scripture (as is pretended) that they are contrary to it. For firft, It does not appear from Scrip, ture how the firft Political Societies were formed. Secondly, The firft Government of God's People was not Monarchical; the Patriarchs were not Kings; the Government of the Ifraelites before Saul's Time was Republican; the People sent Ambaffadors, Joshua xxii. the People in full Affembly demands Juftice, Judges xix and xx. Thirdly, God Almighty gives a difadvantageous Character of Abfolute

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folute Monarchy, which fee 2 Sam. viii. 4. If by God's Appointment, be meant a Divine Revelation or Miffion, no Monarch upon Earth has it: If by God's Appointment be meant the Divine Authority, enjoyning Obedience to the lawful Ordinances of Man, the Supreme Power of a Commonwealth has it as much as a King: If by God's Appointment be meant God's Providence, a Robber, Tyrant, Ufurper may be faid to be fo. Fitthly, There are feveral Paffages in Scripture, that favour the Original Power of the People. Abraham demands a Burrying-place for Sarah of the People. The firft Governors feem to have been Captains chofen for their Valour, by the People, whoever will give Battle (fay the Princes and People of Gilead) to the Children of Ammon, shall be Head over the Inheritance of Gilead, accordingly Jeptha was chofen. Almighty demands the Confent of the People even to his own Laws, accordingly Mofes propofeth them in a full Affembly, and demands their Confent as to a Covenant, See Deut. 5. God Almighty condefcended to this Natural Right of the People in changing the Form of their Government (tho' contrary to his Admonition) when they demanded a King to rule over them, and commands Samuel to bearken to the Voice of the People, 2 Sam. viii. There are many more Proofs of this Truth to be found in Scripture, by any Man who reads with Atten

tion.

God

Q. Does not Conquest give a Right to abfolute Monarchy ?

A. No: For unjuft Force can never give any juft Dominion: And Conqueft in a juft War, gives the Conqueror abfolute Dominion only over the Individuals he has fubdued.

Q: What thinkeft thou of Hereditary Right?