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Show [ 16 l [ I7 ] fore whatfoever is ordained, that can clearly be proved to be contrary to {/36 con itutz'ozz, mull: be allowed to be fmz- {lamenfall ' wrong, and therefore null and void ofitfelf; for, " {ublato fundamento, " cadit opus." (Jenlt. Cent. 106.) But more particularly the Parliament has no power ‘i‘ could, with a good confciencc, take the fame oath " to King William E" To which he replied, " That " the Laws of the land are the only rule of our con- " fcience in this matter, and we are no further bound 5 " to pay obedience to governors, nor to any other go" vernors, than the Laws enjoin. If, therefore, King " William, in the eye ofthe Law, be our King, we mull " in confcience pay obedience to him as huh. power to give up the ancient and clla; blifhed Right of the people to be reprefim‘ed in the logz/lzzture 5 becaufe' an Act for {o bale a purpofe would entirely {ubvert the principles and conflitution on which the very Exifienee of the legiflature itfelf, which ordained it, is formed! fo that fuch an zmrzaz‘ural A6? of the [fate would be parallel to the crime of filo do]? in a private perfon ; and, being thus contrary to " [be "more of things, " can never be rendered valid by any " Authority whatfoever."(18) Andin- I take deed it is laid down as a maxim, by the " this" ({ays he) " for a certain truth, that, a: f/JE " Law rim/Err the King, {0 the fame Low extends, or great Lord Summers, that " no man or " limits, or trmxflrr, our obedience and allegiance ; "' " " " and all Oaths impofed by the Law oblige the con{cience no further than the Law meant they fliould oblige. Only this is always to be remembered, that whatever Obedience the Laws of the land re- " quire of us, it is to be underflood with this provilo, " " " 5‘ " that it be not contradictory to the Laws of God. But in that cafe we mull obey pallively, though we cannot obey aflively: and with this tacit condition I do fuppol'e all oaths of fidelity in the world are given and taken." Life of Abp. Sharp, part 3d, pug. 24, 23, and 26. MS. wrote by his Son, for the in}: of his G:andchildrene " fociety of men have power to deliver " up their prefervatlon, or the means of " it, to the ab/olufe Ml! of any man" (or men) 5 " and they will have always " a right to preferve What they have not D " power (18) " (Que rerum natural prohibentur NULLA " Leon confirmata flint." (Finch, 74..) And " Nihll " quod ell. contra ratiozzem ell licitum." Co. Lit. 97. |
