SERM. equally without Law, or Government.

V.

It

I

ftands between the Two Extremes, as fecure as the Uncertainties of this World permit the Affairs of Mortals to be; and guarded, at least in most Inftances, against all Attempts of Mere Violence, and Apparent Fraud, from whatsoever Hands the Injury may come. know this Difference is ridiculed by fome: and it is faid that Subjects have Properties under the most Abfolute Monarchs, as well as under other fort of Governments. I grant that they may have Properties fecure from the Attacks of other Subjects, unless fuch as are protected by the Monarch: but these Properties are only during his Pleafure, which is as uncertain as his Humour, or his Paffions; and are described by Almighty God himself to be fixed on fo precarious a Bottom, as that the Subjects Poffeffion of them is entirely at his Mercy.

To Liberty, and Property, I added the free Exercife of Religion, as neceffary to the Happinefs of a governed Society; because, as there is no Tyranny so odious to God as Tyranny over the Confcience; fo is there no Slavery fo uneafy and ignominious, as a forced Religion, or a Worship impofed upon weak Men by the Fear, or Application, of outward Inconveniences: befides that nothing promotes the flourishing. Condition of a Nation more than

the

the Indulgence of this Freedom to all whofe SER M. Principles are not manifeftly inconfiftent V. with the Public Safety. And that this Free-w dom, together with the Enjoyment of Civil Li berty, and Property, as before described, muft be an invaluable Happiness to a Nation, needs no Proof; unless it be toThose who are grown weary of their own Happiness by Use, and have forgotten what Terror there was once in the Fears of the contrary Unhappiness. But this may more plainly appear from what will offer itself 'upon the third Particular, under which I propofed,

3. To confider how far this Happiness is attained, and fecured, by the present National Establishment. Now here it must be acknowledged, that this World was never defigned for a State of Perfection: and that there cannot be any Form of Government contrived and managed by fallible Men, which will not be liable to Inconveniences. But certainly it may be faid, that the Ends of Government will hardly ever be answered under Any, if they be not, under that Excellent Eftablishment we can at prefent boast of. It is certain, there might be Liberty and Property under Abfolute Monarchs; were they all, as good Angels, or as God himself. But we know, from his Prophet, that it is not likely there fhould be Either, where

H 2

V.

SER M. Where They are once established. On the contrary, by the peculiar Mercy of God, our Confitution is fo framed, that we enjoy all the Liberty that is confiftent with good Government; without lying at the Mercy of any one Person. By the fame good Providence, we can much more juftly call our Poffeffions, and our Labours, our own, than They can, who are liable to the Invafion of an Abfolute Monarch, whenfoever He pleaseth. Again, It is possible that we might have a Freedom of Religion under a Popish Government, and a Popish Direction: but I hope I may fay, It is for ever certain to us all, under an Adminiftration entirely Protestant. Some indeed feem to think our Liberties most safe, our Properties moft fecure, nay, our very Religion beft guarded, under Arbitrary Power, and Popish Faith. But it is wonderful to Others, how they can unite together fuch disjointed, fuch irreconcileable Things. And it is to be hoped that Common Senfe is not fo wholly loft amongst us, as that any fuch Fallacies can be put upon our Understandings, as may make us undervalue our unparalleled Happiness. These Bleffings are made more diffufive, and lafting, by an Union of two Kingdoms, whofe Separate Interefts ufed to portend Public Calamity: And all rendered yet more fecure to ourselves, and our latest Pofterity, by

Eftablish

Establishing the Succeffion in the Proteftant SE R M. Line; without which it is too probable that V. all that we have been hitherto labouring, at great Expense of Money and Blood, would be of no Importance to fucceeding Generations. So that this great Iland is One Kingdom, governed after the most defirable manner, and the leaft liable to great Evils. True Liberty flourishes; Property is fecurely poffeffed; and all enjoy the Freedom of Worshiping God as their Confciences direct and a Profpect of a long Enjoyment of all these Happineffes is afforded us by the diftant View of fucceeding Princes, Who, we may hope, will learn from the prefent Example to account it their chief Glory to preserve these Bleffings; and their own greatest Happiness, to make their People happy. And need I tell, to what it is that we owe these fingular and invaluable Happineffes? Is it not too plain to need any Proof, that we owe them. all entirely to the late Revolution, founded upon the Principles of Liberty? Without This, Abfolute Power had been by this Time firmly fettled, and fecured by Force of Arms; and that Popish Pretender, whom we all now profess to deteft, and abjure, been the Established Monarch of this Kingdom. Without This, it had been impoffible for us to have known the Bleffings of the prefent Reign, or

SERM. to have hoped for any fucceeding ones under V. the Proteftant Line. In one word, Without

This, our Liberties, and Properties, had long ago been nothing but Words; and our Religion nothing but Paffive Obedience. Could Could one think it poffible for Any to be infenfible of our prefent Happy Eftate; or of the Unhappiness of the contrary? Yet, the Notions of fome amongst us are too plain to be covered, and of too great Importance to be overlooked, which leads me to what I proposed in the next Place, viz.

Secondly, To make farther Application of the History, which I have just now been confidering, to Ourselves, by fome Obfervations arifing from the apparent Uneafineffes of fome amongst us. For, as the Jews were ungrateful to the God who ruled them; and fo infenfible of the happy Government they were under, as to defire a Change from Liberty and Property, to Slavery and Vaffalage: As under every little Trial of their Faith they repented, and regretted that Glorious Revolution which freed them from Egyptian Slavery; reviling their great Deliverer, Mofes, and wearying out his Succeffors with their perpetual Discontents, till they brought themfelves to a State of Servitude again: So we find amongst ourselves but too much Ingratitude, too much Infenfibility, too much Defire of Future Slavery, and too little

an