THUS friendly are the principles of the genuine Whigs to the office and dignity of kings and princes. But then, on the other hand, they confider all men as invested by God and nature with certain unalienable rights and privileges, which they can't without a crime facrifice themselves, and of which they can't without the highest oppreffion and cruelty be deprived by others. Such is the right of all men to judge for themselves in all matters that relate purely to conscience, to chuse their own religion, to avow their principles, to defend them when oppofed, and to worship God according to their feveral perfuafions, and the dictates of their own reafon and judgment, without any interruption from the civil power, or being made subject to pofitive or negative penalties upon this account. They look upon focieties as formed and entered into, not to abridge men of their most valuable and facred rights, but with a view to their better fecurity in the poffeffion of them, whether natural or acquired; and think that the great end of all juft law and government is the full and intire protection of all those who contribute by a peaceable and useful behaviour to the common welfare, and do not by any wilful violation of the public peace forfeit those privileges, which they have otherwise an equal claim to with the rest of mankind.

AND as religion can no otherwise contribute to the benefit or fafety of civil government, than as the principles of it are heartily believed,

believed, and the internal habits and difpofitions of it are implanted and prevail in the mind, they look upon all force in the affairs of religion as criminal, unjust, and tyrannical in its nature; because it cannot poffibly produce that conviction which is neceffary to a rational perfuafion and firm belief; and they regard all difcouragements of every kind, for non-compliance with any particular external rites and ceremonies, to which the name of religion hath been too often given, as abfurd and wicked: for as the being and profperity of civil government hath not the least dependance on, and can never be promoted by the obfervance of any fuch particular external rites; and as the moft punctual conformity to them, where the inward principles of religion are wanting, is not giving any real fecurity to fociety of the fidelity and good behaviour of those who observe them; fo, on the other hand, the laying perfons under difcouragements and penalties, because they cannot in confcience and judgment fubmit to the ufe of them, is really punishing them on account of things which do not in their nature deserve punishment, and are not indeed properly cognizable by the civil magiftrate. And 'tis equally ridiculous to imagine, that a man can forfeit any of the common rights of fubjects, because he fcruples an habit, a gefture, or particular form of words, that others may think fit to make use of, as it would be to fuppofe, that he may be de

I.

prived

prived of those rights, for not being in a fashionable drefs, or of a ftatutable form, colour, or heighth of body.

As a true Whig therefore believes the great intention of law is every man's protection; fo he thinks every fubject equally bound to pay a juft obedience to all the righteous and equitable laws of the community; and that no kind of character, civil or facred, can fet any one above the obedience of a fubject, or ought to exempt him from the penalties annexed to acts of injuftice and violence, and the wilful breach of the good order and peace of focieties. And therefore, if any, under the facred cover of religion, advance principles deftructive of the end of government, or manifeftly inconfiftent with the liberties of the people; if they propagate hatred and divifion between the feveral members of the fociety; if by publick discourses or writings they inculcate perfecuting principles, and endeavour to inflame mens paffions and refentments against their peaceable fellow-fubjects, merely because they happen to drefs religion in a different garb from themfelves, or choose it plain, and without the ornament of dress: he looks on all such perfons as turbulent incendiaries and invaders of the publick peace, as avowed enemies of fociety, as men of dangerous and feditious principles; and thinks that civil government ought to be extremely jealous of their conduct, keep them under proper reftraint, and refoC

lutely

lutely protect those they may attempt to injure; and not gratify their pride, malice, bigotry, and luft of power, by facrificing innocent good fubjects either to their clamour or refentments. And this he is perfuaded is prudent as well as juft; not only from the natural tendency that an univerfal protection of all good fubjects hath to promote univerfal harmony, peace and concord amongst the members of fociety, but because it hath been found true by repeated experience, that when the high claims of affuming and imperious ecclefiafticks have been too far and too long indulged, civil government itself hath been at length dishonoured, weakened, infulted, threatened, and prostituted to the vilest pofes, and indeed the very ends of it destroy'd, or its Being endangered.

pur

As to matters of a merely civil nature, and the conftitution and form of government that is pecular to the British nation, a true Whig is zealous for the juft prerogatives and powers of the crown, and for the rights and privileges of parliament. He confiders this great council of the kingdom, compofed of the feveral orders of our nobility, and of the commons of Great-Britain of the first figure and fortune in their country, as the reprefentatives of the whole body of the people, the guar dians of their refpective privileges, the fource of law, and the dernier refort to which Britons have a right to apply for redress of grievances, deliverance from oppreffion, and pro

tection

tection from injuries, in all cases in which inferior courts may either deny juftice, or cannot give it. He efteems their frequent meetings effential to the welfare and profperity of the nation; their confent neceffary to fupply the wants, and provide for the neceflities of the government itself; and all their refolutions and acts, when conducted by wisdom, and founded in justice, and thus manifeftly conducive to the univerfal good, and finally confirmed by the royal authority, to be binding upon all good fubjects, not only for wrath, but for confcience fake. And tho' prudence may fometimes require men to fit as eafy as they can under really oppreffive and injurious laws, yet 'tis an effential principle of Whiggifm, that as no good and faithful subject can deferve either difcouragement or oppreffion, every one that apprehends himself to be aggrieved by any particular laws in force, hath an inherent right to petition this high and honourable court for relief; and fuch is that integrity, equity, and publick fpirit, by which their refolutions are generally guided and determined, that he hath the highest reason, fooner or later, to expect it.

THESE are the principles I efpoufe, and am determined to defend, as an OLD WHIG, against all contrary principles and practices whatsoever. The mere names of parties I shall never regard. The love of liberty and virtue I fhall commend in all; and as freely cenfure the maxims and measures of arbitrary C 24

and