Page:Discourse Concerning Unlimited Submission.djvu/61

 and too udden oppoition. The nation had been patient under the oppreions of the crown, even to long uffering;—for a coure of many years; and there was no rational hope of redres in any other way—Reitance was abolutely neceary in order to preerve the nation from lavery, miery and ruin. And who o proper to make this reitance as the lords and commons;—the whole repreentative body of the people:—guardians of the public welfare; and each of which was, in point of legilation, veted with an equal, co-ordinate power, with that of the crown? Here were two branches of the

The Englih contitution is originally and eentially free. The character which J. Caear and Tacitus both give of the ancient Britons o long ago, is, That they were extremely jealous of their liberties, as well as a people of a martial pirit. Nor have there been wanting frequent intances and proofs of the ame glorious pirit (in both repect) remaining in their poterity ever ince,—in the truggles they have made for liberty, both againt foreign and dometic tyrants.—Their kings hold their title to the throne olely by grant of parliament; i.e. in other words, by the voluntary conent of the people. And, agreeably hereto, the prerogative and rights of the crown are tated, defined and limited by law; and that as truly and trictly as the rights of any inferior officer in the tate; or indeed, of any private ubject. And it is only in this repect that it can be aid, that “the king can do no wrong.” Being retrained by the law, he cannot, while he confines himelf within thoe jut limits which the law precribes to him as the meaure of his authority, injure and oppres the ubject.—The king in his coronation oath, wears to exercie only uch a power as the contitution gives him. And the ubject, in the oath of allegiance, wears only to obey him in the exercie of uch a power. The king is as much bound by his oath, not to infringe the legal rights of the people, as the people are bound to yield ubjection to him. From whence it follows, that as oon as the prince ets himelf up above law, he loes the king in the tyrant: he does to all intents and purpoes, unking himelf, by acting out of, and beyond, that phere which the contitution allows him to move in. And in uch caes, he has no more right to be obeyed, than any inferior officer who acts beyond his commiion. The ubjects' obligation