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A Speech against Afferters of Arbitrary Power, and the Nonfwearers.

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Believe you are all well affected to the Govern ment, and therefore to incourage you to do your part upon this occafion, I only need to tell you that this is a time that calls upon the diligence and care of every man that wishes well to the publick peace.

"And I am perfuaded that this admonition is not very neceffary to be given to you, who I believe are already very fenfible that we are an unfetled and divided people, and in this you will concur with me, that they are very much to blame who are the occa fion of it.

Far be it from me, to charge any one foolishly and I wish it could not be affirmed with fo much truth, but it is most certain that that Party who in the two late Reigns, were fo induftrious to ferve that intereft that defigned to fet up Popery and Slavery, are the very men that at this time are the troublers of our Ifrael.

And that you may the better understand them and their defigns, give me leave a little to look back and obferve to you the principles upon which they feemed to A.

In the Reign of the two late Kings we had a mighty cry for the Church and Loyalty; but were indeed only difquifes for the bringing in of Popery and Stavery, by reafon that nothing can be more effectual for the bringing in of Popery, than the dividing of Proteftants; and nothing can make us more arrantly Slaves, than the fubjugation of us to the Kings will.

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For the rule then laid down was this, that every man that did not come up to every Ceremony of the Church of England, tho he profeffed the DoEtrine of it, was not to be deemed a good Proteftant but to be perfecuted and treated as an Enemy to the Publick.

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And in the next place, that he only was a Loyman, that did fincerely believe, that we must in all cafe's fubmit to the King's will, and was not in any cafe to be oppofed, or refifted, and the he never fo openly violated the known Laws, yet we were only to defend our felves with Prayers and Tears.

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This notion prevailed with a great many for fome time, yet it was not the force of reafon that gave it fo much reputation, but Rewards and Preferments on the one hand, and Frowns and Difpleasure of those in power on the other, together with all the other incouragements and advantages that the Government could give it; and fomight any thing, tho never fo nonfenfical, obtain for a while, when fo Supported.

But let it be fairly reafoned, and it will appear that nothing is more diftructive to the end of Government than fuch an unlimited power: Confidering with all due respect to Kings, that they have, their frailties and paffions as well as other men.

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I cannot believe that he who is the most indulgent of Arbitrary Power, can be of opinion that God Almighty made mankind to be miserable ; and if fo, how can that and the abfolute power of Kings be reconciled; for what can render this life more miferable than to be fubject to the paffions of a man, who is reftrained by no rules but that of his Will; nor does it feem to be confiftent with the goodness and juftice of God, to fubject a people to fuch a condition; it's moft plain, that he has not left Kings fo at large in the exercise of their power, and that what power he has given them, was to protect and not to opprefs his Subjects: for otherwife, wherefore do we find fuch repeated examples of God's difpleasure against thofe Kings that have tyrannized it over their Subjects. God is a God of Order, and has ordained that Order and Peace fhall be the end of every Government ; but, is the way to obtain this, by giving fcope to the unruly passions of a man It's the King's protection that gives him a right to our Subjection; for when he denys his protection, we may withdraw our obedience, and when the King's protection, or the Subjects obedience ceafes, nothing but confufion can enfue

If God had ordained that every people fhould be Subject to the will of their Kings, he would either have exprefly revealed his pleasure therein, or dif covered it to us by the light of Nature. But no Such revealed Will is to be found, and the light of nature tells us that nothing is more unreasonable than fuch a power.

But put the cafe, that King's are made by Gods immediate direction; yet it is fcarcely less than blafphemy to conceive, that where he does fo delo Cc 2

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Late his power, that their actions fhall not have fuch temperament of Wisdom, Mercy, and Justice, as in fame measure to resemble him, whom they reprefent for otherwise it would make him the Author of Confufion yet in our late times, all the infringements of the Laws that were made by those tuo Kings, was called a divine right.

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And in the next place, he would have provided Some means, by which the people fhould have known what would be the Kings Will, for where there is no Law there can be no Tranfgreffion; for otherwife the people would have been in a fad cafe: For they could not in such a cafe be allowed the use of their reafon; neither could they know when they were in the right, for whilft, they do a thing with never fo much Reafon and Justice, the King's fancy may make it Criminal; and indeed to govern a people any other way than by known and certain Laws, is to suppose mankind to be a company of Brutes, and not reasonable Crea

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It's blafphemy to Juppose that any of God's com mands are unjust, and yet has be given us express rules to be the measure of our obedience to him, and can it then be fappofed that he has fubjected us to the will of our fellow Creature, when he would not require from us fuch a blind obedience to be paid to himself, unless we can believe that the ways and commands of a King are more equal and just than Goa's

If there was a People before there was a King, as no doubt there was, then will it be a difficult undertaking to prove that Kings have a just right to Arbitrary Power and I know of nothing that favours more of nonsence, than to fuppofe a King without a people.

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If the power of Kings is fo unlimited, wherefore did Solomon fay, that oppreffion would make a wife man made: For where I have a right, 'it's lawful for me to make use of it; and therefore oppreffion does imply, that what is donc is against right.

The ftanding body of our Laws is a clear proof that the power of our Kings is limited: How come we by Municipal Laws, if we must fubmit to their will? for who ever looks into our Conftitution, will find that it is not built upon an Arbitrary Foundation, but directly calculated to make us a free people..

But if it shall be answer'd me that this Government was the work of fome King, and that be directed the form of our Conftitution: I do in the first place defire to know who that King was, and in what Age he lived, and in the next place, I fay, that he was extremely Wife and Just and thefe two other confequences will follow from thence.

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First, That that King did believe that it was not fo juft and reasonable to govern by his Will, as by thofe rules which the Law has preferibed, that is, that it was more reasonable that the Law fhould controul his Will, rather than that his Will should over-rule the Law.

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Secondly, That every King that governs more by his Will, he is so much less Wife and Fuft than that King who was the moulder of our Constitution.

The more effectual prefervation of the publick Peace, is the only pretence that a King of England can have for Governing by his Will; but if it be out of that regard, he will find that the Law has CC 3 provided

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