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acts under the Senfe of God's fupreme Dominion, and knows that there is no proper legislative Power, but that of the Almighty; that the Part entrusted to him is a Ray issuing from the Divine Fountain; he will fo use his Power as not to disgrace the Giver of it, and exert it in Laws and Conftitutions, worthy of the great Original from whence they flow: fuch Laws must always be Honour to the Throne, Safety and Profperity to the People.

With us the legislative Power is more happily administered than in any known Part of the World; and I may have Leave in this august Affembly, to congratulate with my Country, that fhe lives under no Law that is not of her own choofing: a Privilege, which is the Glory of Britain, purchafed with the Blood of our Ancestors, and ought never to be parted with, but together with our own. But how is this Happiness completed, when we have a Princess upon the Throne, as ready to give Life to any Law for the public Good, as her People can be to afk it; who takes no other Pleafure in her Power, but in making it beneficial to her Country; and then only thinks the reigns, when she can do good to Mankind!

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Wholesome Laws, whatever Tendency they have to public Good, have no Effect, but as they are prudently administered, and vigorously executed; the Welfare therefore of Kingdoms does in great Measure depend upon the steady and wife Exercife of the executive Power: for though the Touch of the Sceptre may animate the Law, and give it Being; yet it is this Power which gives it Energy and Operation, and teaches it how to influence the Lives and Manners of the People; how to make them at once good and happy. In the Management of a corrupt Ruler, it is oftentimes made a Snare to the Lives and Fortunes of the beft Subjects; but where the Fear of God directs the Prince, the Law is always a Protection to the Innocent, a Terror to the Wicked. In all human Laws there is an Imperfection, which would often make Juftice degenerate into Cruelty, were not the Rigour of the Letter left fubject to be moderated by the Reason and Equity of the Governor ; for it being impoffible to form a Rule that fhall regard all the various Circumftances that attend human Actions, the Law can in many Cafes confider one Action but in one Light, and annexes the fame Punishment to

the

the fame Crime, wherever found, not confidering what it cannot forefee, the Aggravations or Alleviations which may arife from the Circumstances of Offenders and yet in the Eye of Reafon and Equity there is no truer Maxim than this, Duo cum faciunt idem, non eft idem; from whence it comes to pass, that oftentimes the material Action, and the moral Action, that is, the Action confidered in all its Circumftances, are in one and the fame Inftance of different Kinds; in which Cafe the Letter of the Law may find a Crime, where Reason and Equity can find no Criminal; or at leaft not one deferving to fuffer the Severity of the Law. This is the proper Field for the Exercise of royal Mercy; for arbitrary Mercy, that does not regard the Offender's Merit, is rather Humour than Goodness, and is deftructive of the Conftitution; whereas true Mercy always fupplies the Defects of it for the Mercy of the Prince is not opposed to the Cruelty of the Law (for the Law has no Intention to be cruel), but it comes in to relieve the Law against the Imperfections to which all human Constitutions are fubject. Juftice herself is blind, and wants the royal Touch, which gives

her

her the Eyes of Mercy to diftinguish between the Crimes of Malice and Inadvertency.

From this View of the executive Power, it is eafy to judge how great the Difference is between a Prince who rules in the Fear of the Lord, and one who has not God in all his Thoughts. Even Mercy, the choicest Flower of the Crown, and which has the kindeft Afpect on the Subject, may in an ill Hand become oppreffive to the People; and fo it always does when it is used to countenance or protect the Wicked against Juftice; and to fet those who do not love the Law, above the Fear of it but when the Sword of Juftice is fent forth, not to execute the Will of Man, or ferve his Paffions, but to purge the Land from Iniquity, and to root out Oppreffion from the Earth; when Mercy follows close behind, to screen the ignorant, the inadvertent, the unfortunate Offenders, who finned not out of malicious Wickedness, from the rigorous Blows of Justice; then may it properly be faid, that Mercy and Truth are met together; Righteoufness and Peace have kiffed each other.

I should injure the Character of our excellent Queen, fhould I seem to labour in the

Application of these Praises to her, which are fo much her own, that I doubt not but every one here has been beforehand with me, in bleffing God for these rare Endowments of his Princefs. Some Reigns, however full of Glory, yet give us a fecret Horror, when we see our Annals ftained with the richest Blood of the three Kingdoms; when we see the Sword always naked, but cannot difcern the Hand that guides it, and are left doubtful whether it ftrikes the Blows of Justice or Resentment. But Pofterity shall find no fuch Pain in reading the History of thefe Times, which will appear as one continued Scene of Glory and Happiness, and shine like the Morning Light when the Sun rifeth, even like the Morning that has no Clouds. And this leads me in the fecond Place to confider,

2. How great a Bleffing a juft Prince is to his People, which is represented, in the Text, under the Similitudes of the rifing Sun, and the flourishing Grafs fpringing out of the Earth.

Good Laws duly executed are as much the Happiness of the People, as they are the Support of the Crown; without them, Liberty would be our Ruin, and, instead of

enjoying

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