The relation between magiftrates and fubjects bears a near resemblance to that between husband and wife.. Marriage and magiftracy are both inftitutions of the law of nature both relations are established by contract; and require the mutual confent of both parties: both impofe reciprocal duties upon the relatives: and neither the one nor the other should be lightly broken through. The scriptures, and the laws of most civilized nations, have determined, that no man ought to put away his wife, except for the cause of adultery. And furely nọ people fhould think of fubverting an established government, or difmiffing thofe, in whofe hands the adminiftration is entrufted; unlefs for fomething by which the contract is as manifeftly violated, as the marriage contract is by adultery; and fomething which renders it as impoffible, that the ends of the relation fhould be gained by its continuance, as adultery does in the other cafe. If one act, or a few acts of injuftice or mal-administration were to be confidered as a fufficient reafon for fubverting the government of a nation; the best formed conftitution would never be out of danger: and the world would never be without revolutions; while rulers, as well as subjects are in a state of imperfection.

Neither fhould a revolution be thought of, till all other habile means of obtaining redrefs, have been employed without fuccefs. While petitions, remonftrances, and other peaceable and conftitutional methods, have any probability of fucceeding; or even while a partial reform can answer the purpose, no wife man will ever think of going further. Even a reform should never be fought, in any other than a constitutional way; unlefs the evil complained of is of fuch magnitude, as to warrant risking a national convulfion, with all its dangers, whether to the political conftitution or to the fafety and

comforts.

comforts of individuals. No man will either pull down his house, with a view to build a new one, or endanger its fall by digging under its foundations, fo long as all its defects may be remedied by a few repairs.

When things come to fuch a pass, as to make a revolution neceffary, the matter will carry its own evidence. No man will need to be informed that fuch is the cafe. Every man will fee;-every man will feel it. The whole nation will at once beftir themfelves; and every man whofe mind is not enflaved, or who does not profit by the fyftem of oppreffion, will be ready to bear his part. They who are best informed will always be most forward; and they who have moft to lofe, knowing that they stand the fairest mark for the rapacious hand of tyranny, will always be moft zealous for the breaking of its arm. Hence it is manifeft, that while the majority of a nation continue fatisfied with their government, and while that majority confifts of those who have the best opportunity to know the real ftate of things, and of thofe who have most at ftake; all attempts of a minority to fubvert the government must be unwarrantable and feditious.

Under every government there will always be a number of discontented perfons. Ambitious men, who thirst for power, for places, or for penfions, will always rail against that administration in which they are not allowed to bear a part; and revile those whom they envy. Impious men, who trample upon the authority of God, impugn His religion, and perhaps deny His being,-can never be expected peaceably to submit to the authority of fellow-creatures. Men who have spent their own eftates in extravagance and diffipation, and fee no other way to furnish themselves with the means of continuing the fame courfe of life,-may hope to retrieve their for

tunes

tunes by raising or fomenting convulfions in the state. He whofe confcience allowed him to fquander what was his own, and perhaps much that was never his own, in the brothel or at the gaming table,—will feel little remorfe in attempting to reimburse himself with the spoils. of his country. Men addicted to thofe crimes, which the laws of all civilized nations must punish, will readily cry out against the laws-as unjust; and against those who execute them-as tyrannical. The thief will complain, if he cannot fteal with impunity: the highwayman may think it hard that he cannot follow his cailing undisturbed: and the infamous dealer in uncuftomed goods may grumble because fmuggling is reckoned a crime. It is not to be wondered at, if even honeft men complain of thofe burdens, which, from their peculiar circumftances fall heavy upon themfelves. The Weft India merchant may complain of the duties on fugar and rum: the difliller, the tallow chandler, and others in fimilar circumftances, may be diflatisfied with the excife laws:-and so on. When, among any of thefe claffes of men, there arifes a perfon of a turbulent fpirit, yết capable of fpeaking or writing plaufibly,-he may eafily raife a fermentation in the minds of well-meaning labourers and mechanics; who, by their fituation in life, have little opportunity to read, to think, or to know much, about matters of government. This he will find the more eafy, if he catches the time, when an accidental scarcity of provifions, or stagnation of trade, deprives them of employment or of bread. He may tell them that all this is owing to government; that they will never be better, while the prefent fyftem continues; and that nothing but a revolution will keep them from ftarving.Nor is it any wonder, if they, in the fimplicity of their hearts, believe him;-and all cry out for a change

change. But, if we must have a revolution whenever fuch things as these happen, no nation on earth will be one year without them: and that government which is most friendly to liberty will always be fooneft overturned; because a government really tyrannical would difpatch the man, without ceremony, and perhaps without noise, who should attempt to inflame people's minds by fuch writings or speeches; so that few would venture to give fuch umbrage: and the means of circulating difcontents, or forming combinations, would be very limited.

As no wife man will begin to build a house, till he first fit down and count the coft;-fo no wife people will. attempt to overturn their government, till they have feriously weighed the confequences; and have, at least, a probability, that the cure will not be worse than the dif eafe. No tyrant will fubmit to his depofition without refistance, if refiftance is in his power. If the people fhould fail in their attempts to displace him, they do but rivet their own chains, and embolden him to be more tyrannical. How many inftances of this does hif tory furnish? And though they should, at laft, be succefsful in the ftruggle, how much blood and treasure must be expended; and what accumulated calamities must be fuffered, before the end can be gained? The Dutch Provinces were not emancipated, till after a war of forty years: in which millions of lives were loft; and many millions of money. They often fuffered miferies, during the conteft, that we cannot fee human nature fupporting without aftonifhment. All this, no doubt, redounded to their honour, when, at laft, their lion emerged free. But would they not have been arrant fools, if they had expofed themselves to all this for no caufe; or on account of fome trifling inconvenience? Surely, before we bring ourfelves into fuch a fituation, we

fhould

1

fhould feriously confider, whether any evils we fuffer, are equal to thofe, to which we would expofe ourselves? Or whether that which we seek after, is of such impor tance, as, on its account, to put in hazard at once what we enjoy and what we may suffer?

Once, indeed, a revolution was effected in Britain, and the nation fcarce felt the fhock. But the revolution of 1688, was obtained by what was juftly termed "the fwing of the whole people," and even it was not fo cheaply purchased as fome may apprehend. So that, if the matter is attentively confidered, that inftance will not encourage us rafhly to venture upon another fuch attempt. From the time that the Stewart family afcended the throne of England, afcheme was laid to fubject both kingdoms to a yoke of arbitrary power. During the life of James,-partly by, his king-craft, and partly by the real insignificance of his character, the nation was prevented from being much alarmed. When they were roufed, in the days of his fon, what a deluge of blood was spilt; and what convulfions did the three kingdoms fuffer, before the affair was fettled? At the restoration of the fecond Charles, the. nation, in a frenzy of loyalty, arifing from their being heartily weary of ufurpation, and anarchy,-gave away, in one day, all that they had gained by a fuccessful war of ten years. The confequence was, that the fame arbitrary fyftem was refumed: and human nature recoils at the recital of the fines, imprifonments, forfeitures, banishments, tortures, executions, and murders, that difgraced the reigns of the bloody brothers. Now, the revolution of 1688, was really purchafed at the expence of all that the nation fuffered, in the ftruggle against the defpotifm of that family, and under Cromwell's ufurpation, during fifty years before. For what was ef

fected