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Show [24] fons as count raét their plans and defigns, the" of any generous human fentiments, nor have, the damage will afie€t only a few individuals, much more Inuit the body politick have a right a tender regard for "mankind. to depofe any peribns, tho' appointed to the highelt place of power and authority, when they find, that they are unfaithful to the truit repofed in them and that inl‘tead of confulting the general good, they are diiiurbing the peace of foeiety by making laws cruel and oppreflive, and by depriving the lubjee‘ts of theirjuit rights and privileges. Whoever pretends to deny FURTHER, if‘mag'illrates are no farther minii‘ters of GOD, than they promote the general this propolition, mutt give up all pretence of being matter of that common fenle and rcaion by which the Deity has dillinguiihed us from the brutal herd. good of the COmmunity, then obedience to them neither is, nor can be unlimited ; for it would imply a grofs ab‘furdity to aflert, that, when magiftrates‘ are ordained by the peeple folely for the purpofe of being beneficial to the flate, they mult be obeyed, when they are feeking to ruin and deltroy it. This would imply, that men were bound to aft againl't the great law of felf-prefervation, and to contribute their afliftanc; to their own "ruin and de- itrutlion, in order that they may pleale and As our duty of obedience to the magifirate is founded upon our obligation to promote the general good, our readinefs to obey lawiul authority will always mile in proportion to the love and regard that we have for the welfare of the publiek ; and the fame love and regard for the publiek will infpire us with as firong a zeal to oppofe tyranny, as we have to obey ,magiftracy. Our obligation to promote the gratify the greatelt monlters in nature, who are violating the laws of GOD, and delirOying the rights ofmankind. Unlimited fubmiflion and. obedience is due to none but Gon alOHC : He has an abfolute right to command : He alone has an uncontroulable fovereignty over Us, beacaufe he alone is unchangeably good : He ne.‘ ver will, nor can require of us confiftent with his nature and attributes, any thing that is not fit and reafonable; his commands are all publick good extends as much to the oppofing every exertion of arbitrary power, that is in- jult and good : And to fuppofe that he has gi- jurious to the State, as it does to the fubmitting‘ VCn to any particular fet of men a_ power to require obedience to that, Which is unreatong to good andwholefome laws. IV 0 man therefore can be a good member of the community, that able, cruel and unjult, is robbing the Deity of 1.8 not as zealous to oppofe tyranny, as he is ready his juttice and gmdrlel's, in' which confii‘ts the to obey magiftraey. A flavilh fubmiflion to ty- l'any is a proof of a very fordid and bate mind : Such a perfon cannot be under the influence peculiar glory of the divine character ; and it is reprefenting him, under the horrid Chara-Eta" at a tyrant. . of D it |