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The next clause shews, that I did our author no wrong in saying, that he gave a right to usurpation ; for he plainly says, “That whether the prince be the supreme father of his people, or the true heir of such a father; or whether he come to the crown by usurpation, or election of the nobles or people, or by any other way whatsoever, &c. it is the only right and authority of the natural father." In the 3d chap. sect. 8: "It matters not which way the king comes by his power, whether by election, donation, succession, or by any other means.” And in another place, "That we are to regard the power, not the means by which it is gained." To which I need say no more, than that I cannot sufficiently admire the ingeniously invented title of father by usurpation; and confess, that since there is such a thing in the world, to which not only private men, but whole nations owe obedience, whatsoever has been said anciently (as was thought, to express the highest excess of fury and injustice) as, "jus datum sceleri; jus omne in ferro est situm; jus licet in jugulos nostros sibi fecerit ense; Sylla potens, Mariusque ferox, & Cinna cruentus; Casareaque domus series,"* were solid truths, good law and divinity; which did only signify the actual exercise of the power, but induced a conscientious obligation of obeying it. The powers so gained did carry in themselves the most sacred and inviolable rights; and the actors of the most detestable villanies thereby became the ministers of God, and the fathers of their subdued people. Or if this be

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not true, it cannot be denied, that Filmer and his followers, in the most impudent and outrageous blasphemy, have surpassed all that have gone before them.

To confirm his assertions, he gives us a wonderful explanation of the fifth commandment; which, he says, injoins obedience to princes, under the terms of "honour thy father and thy mother; drawing this inference, that as all power is in the father, the prince who hath it, cannot be restrained by any law; which being grounded upon the perfect likeness between kings and fathers, no man can deny it to be true." But if Claudius was the father of the Roman people, I suppose the chaste Messalina was the mother, and to be honoured by virtue of the same commandment: but when I fear that such as met her in the most obscene places, were not only guilty of adultery, but of incest. The same honour must needs belong to Nero, and his virtuous Poppæ, unless it were transferred to his new made woman Sporus; or perhaps he himself was the mother, and the glorious title of " pater patria" belonged to the rascal, who married him as a woman. The like may be said of Agathocles, Dionysius, Phalaris, Busiris, Machanidas, Peter the cruel of Castile, Christiern of Denmark, the last princes of the house of Valois in France, and Philip the second of Spain. Those actions of theirs, which men have ever esteemed most detestable, and the whole course of their abominable government

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did not proceed from pride, avarice, cruelty, madness, and lust, but from the tender care of the most pious fathers. Tacitus sadly describes the state of his country: "Urbs incendiis vastata, consumtis antiquissimis delubris, ipso capitolio civium manibus incenso pollute ceremonia: magna adulteria; plenum exiliis mare; infecti cædibus scopuli; atrocius in urbe sævitum; nobilitas, opes, omissi vel gesti honores pro crimine, et ob virtutes certissimum exitium."* But he was to blame; all this proceeded from the ardency of paternal affection. When Nero, by the death of Helvidius Priscus and Thraseas, endeavoured to cut up virtue by the roots, "ipsam excindere virtutem," he did it, because he knew it was good for the world that there should be no virtuous man in it. When he fired the city, and when Caligula wished the people had but one neck, that he might strike it off at one blow, they did it through a prudent care of their children's good, knowing that it would be for their advantage to be destroyed; and that the empty desolated world would be no more troubled with popular seditions. By the same rule Pharaoh, Eglon, Nebuchodonosor, Antiochus, Herod, and the like, were fathers of the Hebrews. And without looking far backward, or depending upon the faith of history, we may enumerate many princes, who in a paternal care of their people, have not yielded to Nero or Caligula. If our author say true, all those actions of theirs which we have attributed to the utmost excess of

*Hist. l. i. c. 2.

† Tacit. Ann. 1. xvi. 21.

pride, cruelty, avarice, and perfidiousness, proceeded from their princely wisdom, and fatherly kindness to the nations under them: and we are beholden to him for the discovery of so great a mystery, which hath been hid from mankind from the beginning of the world to this day: if not, we may still look upon them as children of the devil; and continue to believe, that princes as well as other magistrates were set up by the people for the public good; that the praises given to such as are wise, just, and good, are purely personal, and can belong only to those, who by a due exercise of their power do deserve it, and to no others.

CHAPTER II.

SECTION I.

THAT IT IS NATURAL FOR NATIONS TO GOVERN, OR TO CHOOSE GOVERNORS; AND THAT VIRTUE ONLY GIVES A NATURAL PREFERENCE OF ONE MAN ABOVE ANOTHER, OR REASON WHY ONE SHOULD BE CHOSEN RATHER THAN ANOTHER.

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In this chapter our author fights valiantly against Bellarmine and Suarez, seeming to think himself victorious, if he can shew that either of them hath contradicted the other, or himself; but being no way concerned in them, I shall leave their followers to defend their quarrel: my work is to seek after truth; and though they may have said some things, in matters not concerning their beloved cause of Popery, that are agreeable to reason, law, or scripture, I have little hope of finding it among those who apply themselves chiefly to school-sophistry, as the best means to support idolatry. That which I maintain, is the cause of mankind; which ought not to suffer, though champions of corrupt principles have weakly defended, or maliciously betrayed it: and therefore, not at all relying on their authority, I intend to reject whatsoever they say that agrees

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