Candians, and others, and fhewing the causes of their differences, which he attributeth to. the diversity of men's natures, cuftoms, educations, and other fuch caufes, that made them make choice of fuch or fuch forms of government.

"So as of all this there can be no doubt, but that the common-wealth hath power to chufe their own fashion of government, as alfo to change the fame upon reasonable caufes, as we fee they have done in all times and countries; and God, no doubt, approveth what the realm determineth in this point; for otherwife nothing could be certain, for that of thefe changes doth depend all that hath fucceeded fithence.-In like manner is it evident, that as the common-wealth hath this authority to chufe and change her government, so hath she alfo to limit the fame with what laws and conditions the pleaseth, whereof enfueth

the

great diverfity of authority and power, which each one of the former government hath.

"So as when men talk of a natural prince, or natural fucceffors, (as many times I have heard the word used) if it be understood of one, that is born within the fame realm, or country, and fo of our own natural blood, it hath fome fenfe, though he may be both good or

bad

The true fenfe

of a natural

prince.

Bellarmine's o

pinion forced

from the glare

of truth.

bad (and none hath been worse, or more cruel, many times, than home born princes): but if it be meant, as though any prince had his particular government or intereft to fucceed by inftitution of nature, it is ridiculous, for that nature giveth it not, as hath been declared, but the particular conflitution of every commonwealth within itself; and so much for this first point, which must be the ground to all the. reft, that I have to say."

* « Particular kinds of government are by the right of nations, not by the law of nature; for it depends upon the confent of the people to set over themselves a king, confuls, or other magistrates.”—The received opinion of the temporal fovereignty of the court of Rome is, that it is a moft abfolute monarchy. And the characteristic spirit of the late fociety of jefuits was always fuppofed to be their abfolute and even blind obedience to their fuperiors. Unlefs therefore, the glare of truth had been overpowering indeed, Bellarmine, who was admitted by all perfons to have been a very learned man, and by his enemies was accufed of being a very artful, intriguing, and ambitious man, as a jefuit would not have broached doctrines, that would have counteracted the credit and efta

Bellarmine de Laicis, 1. 3. c. 6.

blishment

blishment of his own order in different king-
doms; or as a cardinal, under the possibility,
or even expectancy of the tiara, would not
have armed fubjects with fuch powerful wea-
pons of freedom, felf-defence, and refiftance
against abfolute monarchy. The application
of thefe general and fundamental principles

of
government to the English conftitution
my plan will lead me hereafter to confider.

*"Civil government (as I have before obferved) is an inftitution of human prudence for guarding our perfons, our property, and our name, against invafion; and for fecuring to the members of a community that liberty, to which all have an equal right, as far as they do not

any overt act, ufe it to injure the liberty of others. Civil laws are regulations agreed upon by the community for gaining thefe ends; and civil magiftrates are officers appointed by the community for executing thefe laws. Obedience, therefore, to the laws

and to

magiftrates, is a neceffary expreffion of our regard to the community. Without it a community muft fall into a state of anarchy, that will deftroy those rights, and fubvert that liberty, which it is the end of government to protect."

* Dr. Price's Difcourfe, delivered on the 4th Nov. 1789, p. 20, 21. Intended

The advantages ment.

of civil govern

1

46

Bellarmine's opinion forced

from the glare

of truth.

bad (ar
many t

be me.

lar go tution

giveth

particu
wealth

point, w

reft, that

* « Pa the right for it depe

to fet over 1.

magiftrates.
temporal fo

that it is a m
characteristic
was always f
even blind c

lefs therefore,

powering indec

ted by all perf

man, and by his

very artful, intrig jefuit would not!

would have count

* Bellarmi.

tween the diffenting parties, appears to me to arife in great measure from the generality of the propofitions, about which they differ.

"In a fubject, where truth and error lie fo near to each other, divided by a line in many cafes not to be difcerned without care and attention, and where preingagements of intereft to one fide or the other are apt to Land and corrupt the judgment, it is no Wonder to find great perplexity in men's nɔons and difputes, or that thofe, who lie in to deceive or embroil mankind, should te a field of controverfy, in which there is room for all the arts of fophiftry. While rep in generalities, (as fuch difputants ) fome truth will be in their afferthe fake of which they cannot abnied. To this they retreat for r they are preffed. By a little Le conclufions they oppofe, refent them as exceffes, with Reclamation and invective. f men are thus amufed by artificial terrors of

other, the

of fight, thority

hment

may