which fhould tie people reasonably together, not only tends to, but makes abfolute government neceffary. Hence, from the very name of monarchy, men derive a prejudice, as if no security for life or eftate were had under it; when it may be made appear, that in monarchic countries, which have laws of government, as well as of property, fuch as we call mixt, there is more real fecurity than is to be found elsewhere, although there may be much more pretenfion to it. To inftance in the pretended republics of Venice and Holland; the former is a peftilent ariftocracy of the worst fort, that is, of a multitude, under which the community of the people have no law or justice on their fide, but as they gain the protection of one great man against another. And the other is Holland, which hath no popular elections (effential to a Republic), but burgomafters fill vacancies by a majority of themfelves; and fo a faction is always prevalent, both in the towns of which the combination confifts, and in the ftadthoufe, whereby the lands of the countries all about are made direct flavish, and fometimes taxed fo as not to be worth owning; and all to fave the citizens purfes; and all preferments and fucceffion run in a match-making channel and family relation; and yet the name of Republics holds thefe in credit, and the people are pleased, increase, and thrive. But whatever becomes of the humour and fancies of people, it is certain, that for the true utility of government, when fedition is not permitted to grow too much upon it, the government of England is the fafest and best government in the world. A DISCOURSE ON THE ORIGIN OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT. ROM. XIII. 4. He is the minifter of God to thee for good. Tis impoffible for any one to confider, with attention, IT the harmony in which all the parts of the natural world conspire to act for the benefit of the whole, without feeling an ardent defire to learn, by whom and in what manner they were firft framed and compacted together; how the agents were fuited to the patients, and the caufes proportioned to the effects; so that the former have ever fince operated invariably in the production of the latter; and the refult hath been an uniform obedience to the laws originally impofed upon inanimate matter. A diligent furvey of the bleffings, for which the moral world is indebted to civil polity, and the due execution of its edicts, muft needs excite a curiofity equally earneft, and equally laudable, to enquire into the origin of so useful and neceffary an institution; to know at what time, and under whofe direction, a machine was conftructed, capable, by a variety of well-adjusted fprings and movements, of controuling the irregularities of depraved nature, and of ensuring to us, amidst the restlefs and contradictory paffions and affections of finful men, a quiet poffeffion of our lives and properties A "state of nature" hath been fuppofed by writers of eminence upon this fubject, "when men lived in a wild and diforderly manner; and though they had a principle of restraint from religion, and a kind of general law, that exacted punishment of evil doers, yet, as the administration of this law was in common hands, and they had no one arbiter, or judge, with authority over the reft, to put this law, with any regularity, in execution, so, from the excess of felf-love, many mutual violences and wrongs would enfue, which would put men upon forming themselves into civil focieties, under fome common arbiter, for remedy of this diforder."-And it hath been, accordingly, concluded, that "the civil magiftrate was called in as an ally to religion, to turn the balance, which had too much inclined to the fide of that inordinate felf-love." In the "wild and diforderly ftate" here fuppofed, when mankind were mere savages, it is not easy to conceive how they had obtained "a principle of restraint from religion," or "a kind of general law, that exacted punishment of evil doers." And it is no lefs difficult to imagine what benefit could accrue to them from either; fince, as the religion had no priest to teach and enforce it, the law had no magiftrate, to promulgate and to execute it. "The administration of this law was in common hands ;" that is, in the hands of every man who had his own law, canon as well as ftatute, fuited to his prefent occafion, convenience, or caprice. And what was this, but to be truly and properly deftitute both of law and religion? a 66 As this independent state of nature was a state of perfe& liberty; and as they, who had the happiness to live under fo pure and primitive a difpenfation, were, doubtlefs, too sensible of their happiness, to exchange it readily for government, always liable to degenerate into tyranny and oppreffion, it is obvious to think, that when the project for "calling in the eivil magistrate as an ally to religion" was firft propofed, it would not fail to meet with very vigorous oppofition." "An inordinate felf-love," we find, was in poffeffion and no poffeffor is with more difficulty ejected. Of the privilege enjoyed by every man, to do without controul what was "" right in his own eyes," every man would be exceedinlgy tenacious; and no one who thought himself, by his fuperior ftrength of body, or intellect, better entitled to an ox, or an afs, than his neighbour, could be prefently inade to fee the propriety of his fuffering, for the good of the community. |