matter was fo plain; but he had his minifters to confult;-And had he taken the advice of his father's counfellors, all had been well; for they advised him right, and gave him wholefom counfel :-And they spake unto him, faying, If thou wilt be a fervant unto this people this day, and wilt ferve them, and answer them, and fpeak good words unto them, then will they be thy fervants for ever. Could there be a wiser and safer advice, my Lords, than this? It was as much the duty of the Sovereign to hear their petition, as theirs to obey his lawful commandments. He was their fervant, they his, and it was their mutual interefts to ferve. each other. All Sovereigns, in a moral view, lose their right to rule others, when they turn oppreffors; their government is no longer an ordinance of God, than it is consistent with his moral will. Were we, my Lords, to reafon upon this fubject, it would be natural to enquire, what is the

will of God concerning this point, and whether it is the right of every man to know the Divine Mind concerning civil government? And whether, upon fuppofition that the practice thereof is pal· pably opposite to divine rules, every man has a right to judge of the difference, and form his conduct accordingly? There are two rules to be obferved in this enquiry: The first is, what the law of nature and reafon dictates, and what the will of God requires? Reafon and the law of nature are the fame in all things they teach concerning right and wrong; and Revelation does not differ from them, though there are fome who have the benefit of the first, that have not the privilege of the latter. If either the established laws of nations, or the temporary mandates of ftates, are contrary to thefe, they cannot be lawfully obeyed: In this cafe any man may refift them without fin, and in cafe he is not able to refift, he ought to fuffer rather than obey them.

It

It is alledged that the vulgar are not capable of judging concerning principles of government ;-I anfwer, they are then not capable of being guilty of tranfgreffion; for where there is a want of capacity of judgment, there can be no fin. This is a dangerous argument, my Lords, and exposes government to the violence of every one who can overturn it with impunity. You have no defence against any perfon, in this cafe, who is refolute, except fuperior strength; for the gallows will not frighten a man who is not confcious of guilt, if he has any degree of natural fortitude. Try to perfuade the vulgar that there is any cafe in which they cannot fin, and you will foon perceive what operation it will have upon them. But when you tell them they are not judges of your manoeuvres of State, they will foon tell you that they cannot tranfgrefs what they do not understand; and that you require of them more than the Deity requires of them, or even fuppofes;

for

for he requires no duty without first al lowing men to judge of his laws, and makes no laws beyond the reach of their understanding. That foolish thread-bare maxim of minor politicians, ought to be totally given up, That the vulgar are not qualified to judge of matters of State. Why do your Bishops give them confirmation ? administer oaths unto them? Why do you And why are they admitted to the Sacrament, if they are fo ftupidly ignorant? Does any thing that comes through the fingers of government, require more real understanding than those that have been juft mentioned.

All the common people may not be qualified to understand financiering, or how to manage a finking fund; but if the grounds of government were kept clear, no fuch thing would be wanted.

This is

only a medicine for a difeafe in government, that has been brought on by folly and continued by madness. And be af fured that even amongst the lowest clafs

of

of the people many understand the theory of financiering as well as the First Lord of the Treafury; and with regard to practice, his wifdom cannot be much admired on fome occafions. To annex penalties to laws, that are not felf evidently founded in natural justice and the revealed will of God, and obvious to the meaneft capacity, is juft as unreafonable, as to punish a man for not running se faft in the midst of pitchy darkness, as when it is clear fun-fhine.

But, that the people have a right to judge of government and governors, by divine approbation, is plain from the flory before us, which we shall purfue till we come to the fall of Adoram. My Lords, it is now three days fince we heard of Rehoboam and the people of Ifrael; he has had both good and bad counsel given him during this period. He rejected the counsel of the old men, and advised with thofe that were grown up with him and food before him: Look

4