upon Principle; and, fhould they generally prevail, would foon be found still nearer Approaches to it in Practice. But there are not wanting more direct Attempts to break the Bonds of Religion in funder; and to affert a Liberty of Action, unrestrained by the perpetual Awe of a watchful Obferver, an impartial Judge, and an Almighty Avenger: A Liberty, which at best, and supposing its Affertors fuccessful, could amount to no more than what our firft Parents gained by their Exclufion from Paradife; I mean, a Liberty of going forth into a wild, unhospitable World without a Guide, of paffing through it without Comfort, and of leaving it without Hope: But, in reality, a Liberty of affronting and provoking that All-powerful Being that fitteth in the Heavens; who at present looks down with Derifion on all fuch vain Attempts; and will, if not timely appeased, one Day Speak unto their prefumptuous Authors in His Wrath, and vex them in His fore Difpleasure.

Thus far Man has been confidered as out of Society. This however is a State in which no Number of Men ever actually existed. It was from the Beginning, and in a State of Innocence, declared not good for Man to be alone:

And,

And, had not GOD Himself interpofed, fallen Men must soon have found it neceffary to combine into Societies, and to constitute (as far as Men could of themselves conftitute) fome Kind of Government. For tho' a Liberty of doing every Man what should feem right in his own Eyes, is what the Law of Nature by no Means allows, yet it is what Men in a State of Nature would be very apt to affume: And a Liberty it is, which would foon exert itself in their biting and devouring one another, and foon terminate in their being deftroyed one of another.

We are come then to the Enquiry, “How our Freedom ftands as we are Members of So ciety, and how it is affected by the Introduction of Civil Government into the World?" And here it must be observed, that all those Restraints, which the Law of Nature lays upon the Freedom of Individuals, ftill fubfift in full Force with regard to that of Member's of Society. Man is, from the first Moment of his Being, the Servant of GOD: And, as This is a Relation never to be diffolved, so neither can the Duties thence resulting ever be fuperfeded. However, though our Obligations to our Supreme LORD cannot be cancelled by our Subjection to any Mafter on Earth;

yet

yet new Obligations will be fuperadded, or rather our original Obligations will be enlarged, by every subsequent Relation wherein we ftand. Some late Reafoners upon Government, indeed, feem very unwilling to go thus far, or even to hear of any Diminution of Men's Natural Liberties at their Entrance into Society. But This, furely, is a Point, upon which I need not detain You. In the most popular Governments fome Authority there must be, and fomewhere placed: And Authority, wherefoever placed, must require a proportionable Submiffion from Those that are under it. In fhort: The Law of Nature is not to be fet afide, by any Human Conftitution: But, under every Government the Liberties of Nature must be abridged, and the Claims of Nature regulated; and Compliance with fuch Abridgments or Regulations is a Branch of that Obedience, which every Subject owes to the Law of Nature Itself.

But, "how shall the Measures of the Magiftrate's Authority and the Subject's Liberty be mutually adjusted?" This is indeed a Queftion of great Moment, and fuch as might well deferve to be very folemnly debated, were we to bear a Part in a Confultation about erecting a New Form of Government. But in

Truth,

Truth, this is a Question, with the Difcuf fion whereof private Perfons, under Governments actually conftituted, have nothing to do; as being already determined to their Hands. For, after all our Speculations, the Obligations lying on the Members of any Community as fuch, must be measured by the Laws of That Community. Thefe are at once the Standards of the Magiftrate's Authority, and of the Liberty of the Subject: These are the declared Will of the whole Society; and must determine that of every Member of it. A Liberty to oppose his own private Will to that of the Publick, and to refift thofe Perfons who are entrusted with the Execution of it, is no Part of that Liberty, which any Society can allow its Members: Nor can it be taken by any Subject without a Violation of the Duty he owes to the Government that protects him; to himself as greatly interested in its Peace and Good Order; and especially to that Being, whofe Providence ruleth in the Kingdom of Men, and giveth it to whomfoever He will.

Legal Liberty, then, is all that can be de→ manded by Members of Society; and more than this cannot confiftently be defired by Any, who are willing to enjoy the Benefits of Go

vernment.

vernment. 'Tis true, "You may think yourfelf aggrieved by fome of the Laws in Being; Or, "You may dislike fomething in the Form of Government you live under;" Or perhaps, "Something in the Conduct of the Perfons fet over you is not as it should be: And furely, a Liberty of providing for the Redrefs of one's own particular Grievances, in the most compendious Way; of supplying the Defects of an imperfect Constitution; or however, of cenfuring what appears faulty, and reprefenting Things and Perfons as being what they really are; must be defireable at leaft, if not allowable." So indeed the Cafe may appear upon a partial View of it. And thus much must be granted, that, where by the standing Rules of the Conftitution fome Perfons are entrusted with certain Degrees of Liberty, or, to fpeak more properly, certain Measures of Power, for any of the Purposes hinted at; the Exercife of fuch Power, by the proper Perfons, on neceffary Occafions, and in a legal Manner, is not only allowable but commendable. But, what if every Member of the Community should assume a Liberty of redreffing his own apprehended, or even real, Grievances; of infulting the Final Determinations of the Supreme Authority; of fitting

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