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has his part and share in this Authority, and all agreed upon by the whole Community. This is called a Mixed Monarchy; and herein these three Eftates of the Kingdom are fupposed by mutual Affistances and mutual Limitations, not only to fecure the common Peace, the Liberty and Welfare of the Nation from Enemies, but to guard it also from any dangerous Inroads that might be made upon it by any one of these three Powers themselves. Such is the happiness of Great Britain under the King, Lords, and Com

mons.

IV. Here let it be noted, that whosoever has the power of making Laws, whether the King, the Nobles, or the People, or all these together, yet ftill the particular Execution of thefe Laws must be committed to many particular Magistrates or Officers, and they are usually fixed in a Subordination to one another, each of them fulfilling their feveral Posts throughout the Nation, in order to fecure the general Peace.

V. In all these Forms of Government there is (as I hinted before) a Compact or Agreement between the Governors and Governed, exprefs'd or imply'd, viz. that the Governors fhall make it their Care and Bufi

nefs

nefs to protect the People in their Lives, Liberties and Properties, by reftraining or punifhing those who injure, attack or affault them; and that the Governed fubmit to be punish'd if any of them are found guilty of thefe Practices: and also that they oblige themselves to pay fuch Homage, Honours, and Taxes, and yield fuch affiftance to the Governors with their natural Powers, and their Money or Poffeffions, as may best obtain the great Ends of Government and the common Safety of the whole Society.

VI. For this purpose therefore, each Perfon by this Compact willingly abridges himself of some part of his original Liberty or Property, for the common Service of the Society of which he is a Member: and he engages himself with his Powers and Capacities to defend and preferve the Peace, and Order, and Government of the Society, fo long as he and his Fellow-Subjects are protected by it, in the Enjoyment of all their natural Rights and Liberties. The very Reafon of Man and the Nature of Things fhew us the neceffity of fuch Agreements.

VII. From this view of things it appears, that tho' no particular Form of Government, befides the ancient Jewish, could claim Di

vine

vine Right, yet all Government is originally from God, as he is the Author of Nature and Reason, and the God of Order and Juftice: and every particular Government which is agreed upon by Men, fo far as it retains the original Defign of Government and faithfully preferves the Peace and Liberties of Mankind, ought to be fubmitted to, and is fupported by the Authority of God; for it is God our Creator, who by the Light of Reason hath led Mankind into Civil Government, in order to their mutual, Help and Prefervation, and Peace.

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In this fenfe it is that the two great Apostles Peter and Paul vindicate Civil Governors, and demand subjection to them from Chriftians. Rom. xiii. 1, &c. Let every Soul be subject to the Higher Powers; for there is no Power but of God: the Powers that be are ordain'd of God. Whosoever therefore refifteth the Power refifteth the Ordinance of God, and they that refift shall receive to themselves Damnation, i. e. are condemn'd; for Rulers are not a Terror to good Works, but to the Evil. I Pet. ii. 13. Submit yourselves to every Ordi nance of Man for the Lord's fake; whether it be to the King as fupreme, or to Governors as to them who are fent by him, for the Punish

ment

ment of evil Doers and the Praise of them that do well. What St. Paul faith, is ordain'd of God, i. e. in general, as Civil Government or Civil Powers, St. Peter calls the Ordinance of Man; i. e. in particular, as to the several Forms of this Government which Men agree upon or appoint: and indeed God has left it to Men to agree upon and appoint the particular Forms: And fo far as any of them purfue and attain this end, they must be fubmitted to and fupported as an Appointment or Ordinance both of God and Man.

VIII. Tho' Civil Government is an Ordinance of God, and appointed by him according to the Light of Reason, and is thus far fupported by divine Revelation, yet in its proper Aims and Designs it hath no direct Reach nor Authority beyond the Benefit of Men in this World: nor do the things of Religion, nor the Affairs of a future State come within its Cognizance, any further than they have a most evident reference to the Natural and Civil Welfare of Men in the prefent Life: And therefore Government it felf is a neceffary thing, and a Natural or Moral Inftitution of God among Perfons of all forts of Religion, whether Heathens, Turks, or Chriftians, to preferve them in

present

present Peace: nor do any of thefe Religions alter the Nature of Civil Government

IX. Whereas if Civil Government did properly extend its Authority to Religion and the things of a future Happiness, no Government or Governors could be faid to be appointed of God who are of a falfe Religion; and those only who know and teach, and promote the true Religion, and lead People in a right way to this future Happinefs, could be of God's appointment; even as no Government extending to Civil Things can be faid to be of God any further than it tends to promote the Civil Peace and Welfare. But if fuch an unreasonable and abfurd Opinion as this were allow'd, viz. that the Appointment of true Religion belongs to the Civil Government, and there is but one true Religion, it would cut off Civil Government from being an Appointment of God among all the Nations of the Earth, and in all Ages of the World who had lost the true Religion; and all thofe Nations and Ages would be left to everlafting Anarchy and

What Exception must be made for the Jewish Government, which was reveal'd to Mofes, and was almost entirely Divine, shall be taken notice of in its due place.

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Con