which the Providence of God ever afforded to this land, in opening a way to the establishment of that happy ftate of liberty, which we at prefent enjoy. Our lawyers speak of a fpirit of liberty inherent in the conftitution. But the people did not know their own confequence. The fpirit of exerting the liberty, which the laws gave them, flumbered; and they bore patiently whatever an arbitrary prince impofed. Before the civil wars broke out, the government of this country tended certainly to def potifm. The Tudors were tyrants; and if James the first was not equally tyrannical, it was not for want of inclination, but for want of thofe commanding talents, which his predeceffors poffeffed. : Charles the firft with all his amiable qualities, feems to have had no inclination to relax the regal authority and if he had been fuccessful in this ftruggle, it is probable, he might have continued in the arbitrary plan of his predeceffors. He was eafily impreffed by thofe about him; many of whom would have found it their intereft to roufe the prerogative. Even the noble hiftorian, who was one of the best of them, discovers feveral fymptoms fymptoms of his being enough inclined to fretch the regal power beyond its proper tone.* The tyranny of Cromwell indeed fucceeded. Few men had the talents which he poffeffed of enforcing obedience. But his talents, great as they were, if he had lived much longer, must have given way. The people had now gained clear ideas of civil rights; and well understood the doctrine, that kings were made for the people; not the people for kings. At the restoration the liberties of the kingdom should have been fettled; but the people were fo mad with joy at getting rid of tyranny, that nothing elfe could be attended to. The * In the beginning of his account of the treaty in the Isle of Wight, he speaks very freely. "The only hope left, he fays, was, "that by this treaty, the king might be reflored to fuch a condition, "that there might be those roots left in the crown, from whence its "former power and prerogative might sprout out hereafter, and "flourish."-And yet his former power and prerogative were the very roots from which all the fucceeding mischiefs originated. On the other hand, I fee not how we can allow the honours of patriotifm to HAMPDEN. If like the excellent Lord FALKLAND, and fome others, he had only continued with the parliament, while they reformed the abuses of the times, he might have fhone among the first of English patriots: but by feconding, or propofing all their wild schemes, he plainly fhewed, that he meat not to reffore, but to overturn the conflitution, The two fucceeding princes began again to trespass on the liberties of the people; and to fhew the tyrannical principles of their predeceffors. But the fpirit of liberty was now roufed and the whole nation unanimoufly, without dividing into a civil war, took fuch fteps in the year 1688, as effectually fecured their liberties. From this time that happy form of government took place, which is perhaps as perfect as any human government can be. At least when we compare it with other governments, we fee great caufe of thankfulnefs to God. At the fame time we must allow, that the events of thofe times feem to have been the great means under Providence to roufe the spirit of the nation, which might otherwife have dosed on under defpotifm, like other nations on the continent. While therefore we deplore the catastrophe of this day, (tho I fee no reafon for fuppofing it will be vifited on us, or our pofterity) let us thank God for turning those scenes of bloodshed, and murder into the happy cftablishment we now enjoy. We hear no more now of proclamations having the force of law-of forced loans-of the difufe of parliaments—of raising money without its confent —of ship-money-overawing judges-ftar-cham ber ber-fines high commiffion courts-and other grievances. One thing more may be added. Aftrong fenfe of religion exifted in the nation at large, through all thefe calamitous times. Disfigured indeed it often was with fanaticifm, and enthufiafm: yet ftill it had a strong hold upon the minds of men, and produced by degrees that fobriety of manners, which led at laft, under God, to a happy conclufion. LX. Which things we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth; but which the Holy Ghoft teacheth.-1 Cor. ii. 13. HUMAN learning is commonly supposed to be friendly to religion; but here is an apparent diftinction pointed out between them; which feems to place the former in an unfavourable light. As we may fuppofe therefore, that in fome cafes they coincide; and in others are at variance, I fhall endeavour to point out their boundaries; and fhew how far human learning is of advantage; and how far it may be of difadvantage to religion. In the first place, many advantages accrue to religion from human learning. A ftate of learning has a general tendency to open the mind-to difpel prejudices-to enable men to diftinguish between truth, and falfhood-to be convinced by the former-and to detect the abfurdities of the VOL. II. B b latter |