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bjecu of the power^ which wc fonnerly shcv^td \% to wrought »Et the pofi<ie5j<or« of the power. \Vhat 1 write down as the first great Bin of tl people of ttiU land, is disaffection to, aod sp«!akinf^ of, dij^mtiei. For wsnt of its taught and continually acknowled^d, that is the origin of mafistracy and power, in wl ever form cstabluhed, and hi§ word the fltandar^i oflawainl right/yiTt<iu^«»i, ^nd lv% Spi speaking by the inuiitli of his apiritual cbiii the only interpreter of hia word, it hath come pasa that the people understand nothing wl ever of aUct,nftflcc and obrdifiiice for cotisciew sake, knowing only obedici:ce ft«m fear of i! ctmscquences of disobedience. When I say pk, I mean all the governed; for, according my observation, the evil is almost universal, so far from being out of the church. I know >h*t it is hero also io great abandonee, and that itn^H *elf had dnink of this vial which is ponrcd tnto tJie air. The principleof obedience for conscience nke, 1 say, bath no longer a being as a g-enerd principle, even as the principle of government conscience sake is in like manner lost. And rcncc for thoec over us m anthority is depart and the venerable insignia of office are de«pbed 4s « (iiola ba<iblr, and tflr^^ry act i^ looked upon -neril trtfi^B k in*] god's GOSTROVKtIdT VITII THE LXVD. 927 witli saspiciaTi^ judged and censured unspar- ingly. A public man ia considered aa fair game for every fthafLo£ scanrlal; he is a»[Mtrsed, he is miftcalled, he is misrepresented, UQlil every feeling of req>ect which may be in him for the opinion of hi« fcUow'Citizens is taken away. The com* tDuojty labour wiiat they can to make tbcir ser- ?ants, as they caU them, the worst possible, by not giving them a do^s life in the bouse. For certainly no thievish dog is so soRpected in the kitchen, as a miDistcr of the crown or officer of justice is suspected in the great aulic chamber of popular opmioa, the clamorous den of this great god of the earth. And to crown the evil, it b thought a very good Uiing, they will it\vagger and lulk uil 8Tirt9( ofsdianiflcKs and iinjii.si eifuq^, and ttiink they are migbtilT serving the &tute of England. They call it the safety-valve of the state. They call it the grand visitation of the public eye ; and they ahcw you the abuses which arc thereby corrected, and talk of ilie ten L[iou* sand more which are thereby prevented. 1 am not here to argue pulilical <|ue«Uaiiw, or to intermeddle in anyway with political matters; but 1 am here to tell yon^ who are of C