placed over a generous people, who are dif pofed to do whatever is neceffary, to make their princes eafy and happy in themselves and families, and to appear great and glorious in the fight of the nations round about: fo this, (as well as the anniverfaries referred to,) should teach and admonish our princes, not to lay any unnecessary burthens upon the people, nor any otherways awaken their fears, of fuffering thofe very evils from their governours, which government was defigned to fecure them from. And, this, I think, was partly the cafe, in King Charles the Firft's time: the peoples fears were alarmed, and they thought themselves in danger of falling under an arbitrary and defpotick power; whether there was any juft ground for these apprehenfions, is befide my prefent purpose to enquire. Thus, I have fhewn, how thofe anniversaries (founded on the forementioned principle,) naturally point out the political behaviour of the prince. Again,

Secondly, I am to fhew, how these two anniverfaries (founded on that principle,) are mutually conducive to regulate, or rather point out the political behaviour of the people; as well, when they are happily under the government of a wife and good prince, who carefully and faithfully discharges the trust reposed in him, to promote and secure the common good; as when they unhappily fall into the hands of a vicious prince,

who

who wickedly abuses the truft repofed in him, by attempting and endeavouring to undermine and deftroy the common happiness. And,

First, The anniversary folemnity on the thirtieth of January, points out to us how we ought to behave under the government of a good prince; a prince, who carefully and faithfully executes the truft reposed in him, by employing the publick treasure for the publick good, and by making and executing fuch laws, or rather by doing his part towards it, as are proper to guard and fecure the perfons, the characters, the liberties, the properties and lives, and thereby the happiness of his people; and who makes the common good the rule and measure of his government. And, fuch a prince, our publick form of divine fervice appointed for the thirtieth of January, fuppofes King Charles the First to have been. I fay, that this day's folemnity points out to us our political behaviour, or how we ought to act when under the happy government of fuch a prince. For, as we are led by the fervice of the day to complain of, and lament the mifcarriages and bad behaviour of our fore-fathers: fo, this points out to us, not to repent of their fins, for that we cannot do; neither to repent of our own fins with respect to what they did, because in that refpect we have not tranfgreffed;

and

and where there is no tranfgreffion there needs not, neither can there be, any repentance; but it calls upon us to take warning by them, not to be guilty of their faults and mifcarriages, fo far as they were justly blamable, and to be very careful that we act a wifer and a better part. When therefore, we are under the happy government of a good prince, viz. fuch a prince as I have before defcribed, this day's folemnity fhews us how we ought to behave towards him. Namely, not only, not to offer any injury or difrefpect to his perfon or character, not to perplex or disturb his government, not to create jealoufies, and thereby introduce uncafinefs in the minds, and alienate the affections of his people from him; and the like: but, it alfo calls upon us, to pay all due allegiance and fubjection to him, to bonour him with the highest honours, and to reward his faithful fervice for the publick good, with the highest rewards. This, is that political behaviour, which this day's folemnity points out to us, when we are happily under the government of a good prince. And, happy would it be for us, if we could all learn this wife lesson of inftruction from it; then, this anniversary folemnity, would not be the unhappy occafion of fasting for ftrife and debate, and to fmite with the fift of wickedness, as it is to be feared it has : too often been; but, it would be the happy occafion

occafion of leading us into the practice of that duty, upon which the happiness of fociety does moft apparently depend. Again,

Secondly, The anniversary folemnity on the 5th of November, points out to us, how we ought to behave under a vicious prince, who wickedly abufes the truft repofed in him, by attempting and endeavouring to undermine and destroy the common happiness. For, as the publick good, is the principal object of our care, and ought always to be preferred, to every thing which may come in competition with it: fo, this anniversary, points out to the members of society, how they ought to act, when the common happiness is in apparent danger, viz. to hazard their lives and fortunes in the defence of it. This, is plainly pointed out to us, by the Service and folemnity of the day; as it brings to our remembrance, and as it were livelily fets before our eyes, the glorious example of our fore-fathers at the late happy revolution; by which example, the members of fociety are taught, (what is indeed their duty, because the publick good ought always to be preferred,) to have a watchful eye upon those princes, who attempt and endeavour to undermine and deftroy the common good. They, are likewife taught by it, to be timely upon their guard, to check all approaches to arbitrary power, and not to fuffer the evil to run to fuch a heighth, as to be past redrefs,

E

drefs, or remedy. In fine, this day's folemnity, calls upon the members of fociety, to venture their lives and fortunes in the cause of the common happiness, when it is in danger; and to hazard their all, to guard and secure the common good. This, is that political behaviour, which the folemnity of the day, plainly points out to us, when we unhappily fall into the hands of fuch a wicked prince, as I have before defcribed. And fuch a prince, our publick form of divine Service for the 5th of November, fuppofes King James the Second to have been. This day's folemnity, brings to our remembrance, the examples of our fathers, who gloriously interpofed at the late happy revolution, when the common good was in imminent danger, and ventured their all in the defence of it. And, this day's folemnity invites us, and as it were calls upon us with a loud voice, faying, Go ye and do likewife in a like cafe. And, in fuch a cafe, it would not be, to act like double-minded and unftable men, who are given to change; but, it would be, to act uniformly and confiftent with that principle, by which our political behaviour is always to be guided and directed. A principle, which requires fubjects, as well to oppofe a vicious prince, in his attempts and endeavours to undermine and deftroy the common happiness, as it requires their most firm and conftance adherence and fubjection

men

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