have offended against the Laws of nature or reafon, but because the intentions and thoughts of their King are evil. A King that lays out himself for the good of his people, is to be obeyed for Confcience fake, for he is God's Ordinance; and fuch a King can never be too highly esteemed, nor the lofs of him fufficiently lamented. But when a King forfakes the guidance of the Law, and rules only by his Will, to call fuch an one God's Ordinance is very abfurd, unless we can fuppofe God to be the Authour of confufion and oppreffion. All that have written of Government agree in this, that Kings were created or fet up that Ju ftice may be had, which does plainly intimate thefe things, Firft, That every King is fuch by reafon of the conftitution of the Government. 2. That he is admitted to that truft upon condition. 3. That when he does not adminifter Justice, much more when he oppreffes the People, he exceeds the limits of his lawful power; and both this Doctrine and Expofition is not denyed by any, fave fome ignorant Ambitious Clergy, who in hopes of preferment have turned Bawds to Arbitrary Power: And the Coronation Oath, or Solemn Ingagement which every King takes before he is crowned, confirms the foregoing Obfervations; and what can oblige the taking of that Oath, but the conftitution of the Government? For fince Mankind. is fo greedy of Power, and prone to incroach up., on anothers right, can it be fuppofed that Kings would clog themselves with the Coronation Oath if they could avoid it, much less that they would on their own accord fo fhackle themselves? What What has been faid, will ferve to explain what' is the true meaning of a natural Prince or Lord, a notion, which for want of confideration, has gulled a great many good People, and yet amounts to no more than this, That he is one of our Brethren, or born amongst us. It is a meer conceit, to imagine that any thing is fuch by the inftitution of Nature: For if Nature had formed any Government, every other Government in the World would have been of the fame Form and Model to all intents and purposes: For Nature is immutable and the fame in all places; and what it does in one place, it does the fame thing in another. So that all that Nature does in the framing of any Government, is only to concur with the people in making choice of that which best fuits their difpofition and temper, not to prescribe or neceffitate them to any parti cular form: And then confequently it will follow, that what lawful' Right or Power every King claims, is by reafon of the conftitution of the Government, and not from Nature. If there be any fuch thing as this Natural Right, it must be inherent in all lawful Kings; for if some of them have it, why not all of them? And if any have, every King elfe has the fame. And if this be fo, where was the Natural Right of King Stephen and Henry II, both born out of the Realm, their Fathers Forraigners, and at the fame time there were others, who by right of descent were nearer to the Crown than either of them. It was not this natural right that invented the coronation oath, neither is it by reafon of it that every King of England is bound to take it before they they can require any of their Subjects to do themi homage and fealty. If there be any fuch thing as this natural right, then it will follow that all the Kings of the earth but one are Ufurpers; because this natural right muft arise from Primogeniture; and there can be but one man at the fame time who is the rightful Heir and Succeffor to Adam; and confequently all others that pretend to be Kings, ufurp upon his right. So that this notion of a natural right, pulls down the thing it pretends to fet up. When a Common-wealth is changed into a Monarchy, is it this natural right that makes him King who is first fet up? Or when a Family is extinct that has been long in poffeffion of the Crown, and the Body of the People chufe a King from amongst themselves, is it by this natural right that he attains to this dignity? But as a multitude of other abfurdities would follow upon it, fo the Apostle puts the thing out of difpute, when he fays, That Kings are the Ordinance of man. And here I will leave Kings to refolve which is their best title, whether this natural right, or the constitution of the Government. Differences and difputes do but too frequently arife betwixt the King and People; and therefore I will tell you what I conceive to be advisable when fuch ill humours are afloat. Confider whofe demands do beft fuit the common good; For by a ferious and impartial exami nation of that you will be able to discover who is in the right: For if you follow this rule exactly, it will not mifguide you. And take this Observaticn along with you, When the State is diftempered, you will find for the most part (if not al ways) ways) that the cause of offence proceeds from the Court. And the reason of it is very evident, Becaufe fo long as English men injoy their rights, they have no occafion to quarrel with the King, for they need nothing elfe. But Kings as they are, always think they are too fhort in power, and those that are about them are too apt to incourage thofe defires in Kings; becaule the more abfolute he is, the more able he is to gratifie his Creatures. Now in this cafe, let not the opinion of the Clergy govern you; for none are blinder Guides than they, and no one thing hath done more mifchief in this Nation than their politicks. If you happen to be on the prevailing fide, use your advantage with Moderation. This you are obliged to do as you are a good Christian, and felfintereft pleads for it: for fince the events of all things are uncertain, there may come another turn, and then in reafon you may expect fair quarter from them, whom you treated fo well in the day of your power. If your Party come by the worft, remember thefe two things; Firft, don't think the worse of your Cause by reafon of the Succefs; Neither make any mean fubmiffion, nor do any other fordid thing to get out of your trouble; ufe only lawful and honeft means, for if you are in the right, fooner or later it will prevail, and then in the end you will come off with double honour. 2. If you are examined as a criminal, confefs nothing,only argue against the infufficiency of what is objected against you. For First, It is an argu ment of your courage and refolution. Secondly, By confeffing any thing, you help them to evidence against your felf and others; for you furnish them with time and place, and then it is an easie matter for a Knight of the Poft to give fuch an evidence. againft you as is not eafily difproved. Thirdly, It's very feldom that you will meet with better ufage, though you confefs never fo much, unless you will turn accufer of others, and give evidence against them; which is fo bafe a thing, that I would advife you to undergoe any extremity rather than do that: For as your own Party will for ever abhor you and your Memory, fo the other fide will defpife and flight you as foon as you have done their bufinefs, and all that you can do for the future will never wipe off fuch a blot. - If you are concerned in the profecution of any publick Criminal, let your proceedings be tempered with Juftice and Moderation: For I have feen it fatal to feveral who have strained and forced the Law to the deftruction of others, yet in the end fell into the Pit they digged for others, and perifhed by their own Law. When the State is fo fore that it makes a Man an Offender for a Word, and the times are fo evil that the prudent keep filence; Then are all meetings to be avoided, fave only fuch as are upon real business, recreation, or for Neighbourly Visits, and thofe too in as fmall numbers as may be, for Spyes and Informers will thruft themselves intó Confults and Cabals, and of all others will fay the hottest and most violent things, in hopes that believing that all proceeds from the fervency of their Zeal, you may thereby be induced to fay fomething that will bring you within the compass of the Law: Or if you have the difcretion or good hap to fay nothing, yet your very being in the fame Company where fuch things have been faid or uttered, |