Duty to prevent, if fome of them had not for want of Knowledge in Temporal Affairs, and others perhaps from a worfe Principle, Proceed ed upon a Topick, that strictly followed, would enflave all Mankind.

AMONG other Theological Arguments made ufe of in thofe Times, in Praise of Monarchy, and Juftification of Abfolute Obedience to a Prince, there feemed to be one of a fingular Nature; It was urged that Heaven was govern ed by a Monarch, who had none to controul his Power, but was abfolutely obeyed: Then it followed, that Earthly Governments were the more perfect, the nearer they imitated that in Heaven. All which I look upon as the Atrongeft Argument against Defpotick Power that ever was offered; Since no Reafon can poffibly be affigned, why it is beft for the World that God Almighty hath fuch a Power, which doth not directly prove that no Mortal Man fhould ever have the like.

BUT though a Church of England-Man thinks every Species of Government equally lawful, he does not think them equally expedient; or for every Country indifferently. There may be fomething in the Climate, naturally dif pofing Men towards one fort of Obedience, as it is manifeft all over Afia, where we never read of any Common-wealth, except fome fmall ones on the Western Coafts eftablished by the Greeks. There may be a great deal in the Situation of a Country, and in the prefent Genius of the People. It hath been obferved, that the temperate Climates ufually run into moderate Governments, and the Extreams into Defpotick Power. Tis a Remark of Hobbes,

that

that the Youth of England are corrupted in their Principles of Government, by reading the Authors of Greece and Rome who writ under Commonwealths. But it might have been more fairly offered for the Honour of Liberty, that while the reft of the known World was over-run with the Arbitrary Government of fingle Perfons; Arts and Sicences took their Rife, and flourished only in those few fmall Territories, where the People were free. And though Learning may continue after Liberty is loft, as it did in Rome, for a while upon the Foundations laid under the Common-wealth and the particular Patronage of fome Emperors; yet it hardly ever began under a Tyranny in any Nation. Because Slavery is of all Things the greateft Clog and Obstacle to Speculation. And indeed, Arbitrary Power is but the first natural Step from Anarchy or the Savage Life; the adjufting Power and Freedom being an Effect and Confequence of maturer Thinking: And this is no where fo duly regulated as in a limited Monarchy: Because I believe it máy pafs for a Maxim in State, that the Admi niftration cannot be placed in too few Hands, nor the Legislature in too many. Now in this material Point, the Conftitution of the English Government far exceeds all others at this time on the Earth, to which the prefent Eftablishment of the Church doth fo happily agree, that I think, whoever is an Enemy to either, muft of neceffity be fo to both.

He thinks, as our Monarchy is conftituted, a Hereditary Right is much to be preferred before Election. Because the Government here, efpe-.. cially by fome late Amendments, is fo regularly difpofed in all its Parts, that it almoft executes it G

felf.

felf. And therefore upon the Death of a Prince among Us, the Administration goes on without any Rub or Interruption. For the fame Reafons we have little to apprehend from the Weakness or Fury of our Monarchs, who have fuch Wife Councils to guide the firft, and Laws to reftrain the other. And therefore this Hereditary Right fhould be kept fo Sacred, as never to break the Succeffion, unless where the preferving it may endanger the Constitution; Which is not from any intrinfick Merit, or unalienable Right in a particular Family, but to avoid the Confequences that ufually attend the Ambition of Competitors, to which Elective Kingdoms are expofed; and which is the only Obftacle to hinder them from arriving at the greatest Perfection that Governmant can poffibly reach. Hence appears the Abfurdity of that Diftinction between a King de facto, and one de jure, with refpect to Us. For every limited Monarch is a King de jare, because he Governs by the Confent of the whole, which is Authority fufficient to abolish all precedent Right. If a King come in by Conqueft, he is no longer a limited Monarch; if he afterwards confents to Limitations, he becomes immediately King de jure for the fame Reafon.

THE great Advocates for Succeffion, who affirm it ought not to be violated upon any Regard or Confideration whatsoever, do infist much up. on one Argument that feems to carry little Weight. They would have it, that a Crown is a Prince's Birth-right, and ought at least to be as well fecured to him and his Pofterity as the Inheritance of any Private Man; in fhort, that he has the fame Title to his Kingdom, which every Individual has to his Property: Now the Confequence

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Confequence of this Doctrine muft be, that as a Man may find several ways to wafte, mifpend, or abufe his Patrimony, without being answerable to the Laws; fo a King may in like manner do what he will with his bun, that is, he may fquander and mifapply his Revenues, and even alienate the Crown, without being called to an Account by his Subjects. They allow fuch a Prince to be guilty indeed of much Folly and Wickedness, but for thofe he is to answer to God, as every private Man muft do that is guilty of Mifmanagement in his own Concerns. Now the Folly of this Reafoning will beft appear, by ap plying it in a parallel Cafe. Should any Man argue, that a Phyfician is fuppofed to underftand his own Art beft; that the Law protects and encourages his Profeffion; And therefore although he fhould manifeftly prefcribe Poison to all his Patients, whereof they _fhould immediately die, he cannot be juftly Punifhed, but is anfwerable only to God. Or fhould the fame be offered in behalf of a Divine, who would preach againft Religion and Moral Duties; in either of thefe two Cafes, every Body would find out the Sophiftry; and prefently answer, That although common Men are not exactly skilled in the Compofition or Application of Medicines, or in prefcribing the Limits of Duty, yet the Dif ference between Poifons and Remedies is eafily known by their Effects, and common Reason foon diftinguishes between Virtue and Vice; And it must be neceffary to forbid both thefe the further Practice of their Profeffions, because their Crimes are not purely Perfonal to the Phyfician or the Divine, but deftructive to the Publick. All which is infinitely ftronger in refpect to a

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Prince,

Prince, in whofe good or ill Conduct the Hap-pinefs or Mifery of a whole Nation is included; whereas it is of fmall Confequence to the Publick, farther than Examples, how any private Perfon manages his Property.

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Bur granting that the Right of a Lineal Succeffor to a Crown were upon the fame Foot with the Property of a Subject, ftill it may at any time be transferred by the Legislative Power, as other Properties frequently are.

The Su

preme Power in a State can do no wrong, because whatever that doth, is the Action of all; And when the Lawyers apply this Maxim to the King, they must understand it only in that Senfe as he is Adminiftrator of the Supreme Power, otherwife it is not univerfally true, but may be controuled in feveral Inftances eafy to produce.

AND these are the Topicks we muft proceed upon to juftify our Exclufion of the young Pretender in France; that of his fufpected Birth, being meerly Popular, and therefore not made ufe lof, as I remember, fince the Revolution, in any Speech, Vote, or Proclamation where there was loccafion to mention him.

As to the Abdication of King James, which the Advocates on that fide look upon to have been forcible and unjuft, and confequently void in it felf, I think a Man may obferve every Article of the English Church, without being in much Pain about it. "Tis not unlikely that all Doors were laid open for his Departure, and perhaps not without the Privity of the Prince of Orange, as reafonably concluding, that the Kingdom might better be fettled in his Abfence; But to affirm he had any Caufe to apprehend the fame Treatment with his Father, is an improbable

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Scandal