temporal and eternal Happiness of the Creature. And, all that is required of us, to answer thefe great Ends, is to love God with all our Might, and our Neighbours as ourselves: For, we are affured. by the Founder and Finisher of our Faith, that on thefe depend all the Law and the Prophets.

As the Man, who moft fully discharges these Duties, and best answers thefe Ends, is the most worthy and excellent Creature, or Member of Society; fo, that Syftem of Civil Society, which moft promotes thefe great Purposes, deferves of all others the Pre-eminence.

SUCH a Syftem then, is that of Great Britain confeffed to be, by all the knowing and admiring World. This is that Community, in which every Member enjoys as much Freedom, as is confiftent with the Good of the whole; that is, with the End of the Inftitution of Civil Society. I cannot fum up the Happineffes of this Establishment more expreffively, than in the Words of the loyal Sufferer, whofe Perfecution is Part of the Subject of this Paper.

THO' there is no Record fo antient as to fhew, when the Britanic Conftitution commenced, which is an undoubted Proof of it's Antiquity, yet it must have had it's Origin and Progrefs, like other Societies. It is enough for me to observe, that it is now univerfally allowed, and thank GOD, undeniable, that Our Government was founded on the Principies of Liberty, by a WISE, a FREE, and a BRAVE PEOPLE. And, that no Part or Member of the State has, or can, justly or lawfully, exercife any Power or Authority, but what is derived from, and held in truft for THE PEOPLE; who are the confeffed Origin, or Spring of the SOVEREIGN POWER, which, for the easier and better Difpenfation and Execution, THEY + LUCAS, Addrefs to the Citizens of Dub. No, 1v. p. 6

B

THEY bave committed into the joint Hands of three Eftates, fo framed and attempered, as to be Checks, the one upon the other; THE KING, LORDS AND COMMONS, IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED; which conftitute the GREAT CORPORATION, or BODY POLITIC of the Nation, This will appear the most wife, the most equal, the most juft, the moft perfect Form of Government, that now fubfifts upon this Globe. A glorious Conftitution! In which, all the Parts are free in their allotted Stations! All are Members of the most happy Community, and Servants one of another! Even the first and great Eftate, the K NG, tho' far greater than any of the known Monarchs of the Earth, in this, that HE GOVERNS FREE MEN, by their own Election and Laws, they Rule Slaves by arbitrary Force and Violence; yet is He but the FIRST and GREATEST SERVANT of the State!'

THIS is that unparallelled Conftitution, in which are found, all the Ufes, Benefits and Excellencies of all the known Forms of Government upon Earth, without any of their Inconfiftencies, Evils, or Inconveniencies. This is that wife System of Civil Society, in which the great and unalterable LAW of NATURE is enforced and eftablished, not oppofed, or contradicted; which is the fure and certain Characteristic of a perfect Government: For, according to the above recited Author, (p. 8.) in the British Polity, previous to the Establishment of the modern Method of Parliaments, feven original and effential PRINCIPLES of the Conftitutions, which he enumerates, were founded and established; as the common, inviolable BIRTH RIGHT, the INDEFEASABLE HEREDITARY PRIVILEDGES of the PEOPLE. In which he observes, p. 9.

• THUS

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THUS did the Wisdom and Virtue of our Fore 'fathers greatly provide for the Happiness and Glo'ry of their Iffue! Making the abfolute Safety of 'their Lives, the Independence and Security of their Liberty, Property, Freedom in Trade, and other 'common natural Rights, not only the UNAL'TREABLE BASIS of the Civil Constitution, 'but the Evident Cause and Intent of it's Inftitution.' AND in the 5th Addrefs, p. 15. He calls it, a 'Frame of Government, under which every Mem'ber must be Free, while he continues virtuous." And again, every Member of our Community has 'an indeafeafable, hereditary Right to LIBERTIES and PRIVILEDGES beyond thofe of any People ' upon Earth :We are all by Law, as well as by • Nature, as FREE and as INDEPENDENT as Kings; ' while we fulfill the Duties of our refpective Stations ' and Provinces in Life :-OUR KING, in the Truft and Dignity of his Office, tranfcends all other Kings and Emperors on the Globe, as far as we ex'cel all other Subjects in Liberty; fo, that he may, 'not unjustly, be called a KING of KINGS; while 'moft of the mighty Monarchs of other Nations are, properly, but the Masters of fome Herds of Slaves. To illuftrate this moft admirable Frame of Policy further, let us briefly confider the conftituent Parts of the Governmen, and the Priviledges and Advantages the Subjects enjoy under fuch a Conftitution,

In this then, we have first, the Advantage of all the Monarchies or kingly Governments in the World; we have most of the Excellencies, and leaft of the Evils of that Form of Government; a Sovereign or fupreme Magiftrate, dignified with all the Honour, Pomp and juft Power of Majefty; a KING, not of indefeafable, hereditary Right and unlimited Power, as fome unhappy Fools, or Slaves have contended,

but a limited Monarch, created BY, and acting UNDER the AUTHORITY of LAWS, made by the voluntary Affent and free Sufferance of the PEOPLE, the Source of Sovereign Power. This is the first Eftate in the COMMONWEALTH. Secondly, we have the Advantage of all the known Ariftocracies, or Governments by Nobles, in an hereditary, grand Council of Nobles, dignified with all outward Marks and Appearances of Honour and Reverance, and as much Power, and as great Pre-eminencies and Priviledges, as are requifite to maintain that Rank, in the utmoft Splendor; but fo limited, as to put it out of their power to injure or annoy, much lefs to incroach upon, or violate the Rights and Liberties of the Commonalty. This is the fecond Estate in our Government. But, the great Strength and Security of our Conftitution confifts, in our having a powerful Balance in the third Eftate, against the Power of either the First or Second, feparately, or jointly, fhould it ever fo happen, that they should confpire and unite their Forces against the Commonalty. In this, we have the Happiness of all the Benefits, without the Evils of a Democracy, or a Government or Commonalty. In this great Council, every Man below a Peer, who is a Freeman or Freeholder within the Realm, is fuppofed to be virtually or actually prefent; that is, has a Right to be present in Perfon, or by Reprefentation. The COMMONS are the Counsellors, the Trustees and Guardians of the People, their Reprefentatives, and ftipulated Ser

vants.

THESE three Eftates conftitute one Body intrufted and invested with all the Powers and Priviledges, of the People. But, as each was inftituted, not for it's private Emolument, but for the common Good of the whole; fo, neither can be supposed to be actuated by, or to regard or know any Intereft, dif

tinct or feperate from that of the Community: Therefore, they are jointly and feverally prefumed to have no Paffions, but to fquare their Actions by the ORIGINAL COMPACT between the KING OF LIGISLATURE and the PEOPLE, or the known Laws; fo as most effectually to promote and fecure to the whole Community, and to every individual Member thereof, PEACE, LIBERTY, and PROPERTY; in other Words, to establish general Order and good Government, agreeable to the original essential Prin ciples of our Policy, which is the fole Intent and End of the Inftitution.

It would be tedious, if not endlefs to recount the manifold Advantages accruing to the Subjects of this most excellent Government. I fhall therefore, only recite a few of the most pertinent to my prefent Purpose; to fhew how happily and effectually the Lives, Liberties, and Properties of the Subjects are fecured, under this great and unparallelled Conftitution.

No Power exifts in the State, that may deftroy the Life, invade the Liberties, feize or deminifh the Property of the meaneft Individual; unless he has forfeited them by Law, or has given up his Liberty or Property, or fome Portion of them, for the general Good of the whole Society, to which the Intereft of every Member is to be always fubfervient.

THE Life of a Member is never to be endangered, but upon his being guilty of, or chargeable with a capital Crime; fuch as Treafon, Murder, Felony, or fome Fact dangerous to, or destructive of Society. Even fuch an obnoxious Offender is Subject to no arbitary Power. He cannot be even deprived of his Liberty, till fome Proofs of the criminal Fact be offered upon the Oath of a credible Witnefs before a known Magiftrate. Upon fuch Teftimony alone, he may be confined; but,

he