Citt And Bumpkin (1680) Part 9

_Citt._ You may take his part as ye please, But there's a Famous _Lecturer_ charg'd him Publiquely for _Popery_, in his _Answer_ to the _Appeal_; and for falling upon Dr. _Lloyd_.

_L'Estrange_ charg'd as a Papist, by a Certain Lecturer.

_True._ He did so; but at the same time that _Lecturer_ found no fault with the _Appeal it self_; and the best on't is, his _Tongue's_ no more a slander then his _Pen_: And whoever reads what he has written concerning the _Late King_, and the _Episcopal Church_, will think never the worse of _L'Estrange_ for what he says. Now for the _Reverend Dean of Bangor_, I dare say he never _spake_, or _thought_ of him, but with _Veneration_. Let me see the book.

The Ground of his Accusation.

Look, ye here, 'tis _pag._ 18. in _L'Estrange's Impression_, and 'tis _pag._ 15. in _this_; and here's the Point [_Their Loyalty and Good service paid to the King_ (says the _Appealer_ speaking of the Papists) _was meerly in their own Defence_.] Now see _L'Estrange's Reply_ upon it, _If it lies_ (says he) _as a_ Reproach _upon them that they did then not serve the King out of_ Loyalty; _that which they_ did, _was yet better then_ not serving _him_ at all; _and better in a Higher degree_ still, _then_ Fighting against _him_. And a little after. _It is worth the Observation, that not a man drew his Sword in the opposite Cause who was not a_ Known Separatist; _and that on the Other side, not one_ Schismatick _ever struck stroke in the_ Kings Quarrell.

And now for your Notes upon his Answer, they are so silly, that it were Ridiculous to Reply upon 'um [_who knows_ (says he) _but the Regicides were Papists in disguise_, _pag._ 19.] And a deal of such senselesse stuff; enough to turn a bodies Stomach. And if you'd inform your self of his Malice; look ye here _pag._ 4. _p._ 9. and _p._ 33 how he Palliates, if not Justifies, the Late Rebellion, the Murther of the Arch-Bishop of St. _Andrews_, and the drawing of the Sword against the King.

Briefly, 'tis an _Insipid Bawling_ piece of _Foolery_, from One end to the Other. And it is not but that I highly approve of your _Zeal_ for the Discovery of the _Plot_, and Suppressing of _Popery_, but we are not yet to Trample upon _Laws_, and _Publique Orders_, for the attaining even of those Glorious ends.

But now I think on't; deal freely with me; did you really go to the _Registers_ ye spake of, to furnish _Names_ for your _Subscriptions_?

_Citt._ No; That was but a _Flourish_: but all the Rest we _Literally_ did.

A gross Cheat upon the Nation.

_True._ Are not you Conscious to your selves of your Iniquities? who made _You_ a _Commissioner_ for the _Town_, or _You_ for the _Country_?

But we are like to have a fine business of it, when the _Dreggs_ of the _People_ set up for the _Representatives_ of the _Nation_; to the Dishonour of the most _Considerable_, and Sober part of the _Kingdome_.

Pre'thee _b.u.mpkin_, with thy _Poles_, and _Baltiques_, how shouldst thou come to understand the _Ballance_ of _Empires_? who are _Delinquents_, and who _not_? the Right of _Bishops Votes_? And _You_ (forsooth) are to Teach the _King_ when to call a _Parliament_, and when to let it alone.

And are not you a fine Fool i'the mean time, to Drudg for the Faction that Sets ye on, to be afterwards made a slave for your pains?

Lewd Practises of the Faction.

And then for You, _Citt_, with your _Mouldy Records_, your _Coordinate Estates_, and your _Sovereign Power of the People_. Do not I know all your Fallacies, your Shifts, and Hiding-holes? There's not one step you set, but I can trace you in't: You have your _Spies_ upon all _Libraries_, as well as _Conversations_; your _Agents_ for the procuring of old _Ma.n.u.scripts_, and _Records_, and for the _Falsifying_ of _New ones_, to make them look like _Old Ones_. Nay, the _Papers_ of _State_ themselves had much ado to scape ye. Those that a.s.sert the _Just Rights_ of the _Crown_, you either _Bury_ or _Conceal_; only Publishing the _Presidents_ of _Seditious Times_, in Vindication of such Principles.

_Citt._ I must confess I take the _Government_ to be _Coordinate_, and the _King One_ of the _Three Estates_, with submission to be better inform'd.

Against Coordination.

_True._ If it be so, how comes it that the House of _Commons_ even in their most Popular seasons, have still own'd the Crown of _England_ to be _Imperial_? How comes it that all our _Laws_ are call'd the _Kings Laws_: all our _Courts of Justice_ his _Majesties Courts_, and all _Publick Causes_ try'd in the _Kings Name_, and by the _Authority_ of his _Majesty_?

_Citt._ But have not the _Two Houses_ their share in the _Legislative Power_?

It is the sanction makes the Law, not the Consent.

_True._ You must distinguish betwixt the _Consent_, and the _Sanction_; the _Preparatory_ Part is _Their's_, the _Stamp_ is the _Kings_: The Two _Houses_ Consent to a _Bill_; It is only a _Bill_, when it is _presented_, and it remains yet a _Bill_, even when the King has _Consented_ to it; and in this _Common Consent_, in Order to a _Law_, the _Two Houses_ may be said to _share_ with his _Majesty_: But then the _Fiat_, that superinduces an _Authority_, and is _Only_, and _Properly_ the Act of _Legislation_, is _singly_ in the _King_. So that though they _share_ in the _Consent_, they have no pretence at all to the _Sanction_: which is an Act of _Authority_; the other but of _Agreement_.

The Inconveniences of a Coordination supposed.

And yet again, admitting your _Coordination_; First, every King runs the hazzard of his Crown upon every Parliament he calls: For _That Third Estate_ lies at the Mercy of the _Other Two_: And further, 'tis a kinde of Ringing the Changes with the Government, the _King_ and _Lords_ shall be Uppermost _One day_, the _King_ and _Commons_, _Another_, and the _Lords_ and _Commons_, the _Third_: For in this Scale of Const.i.tution whatsoever the _One_ will _not_, the _Other Two_, _may_.

_Citt._ Well, but Ours is a MIXT Government, and we are a _Free People_.

Of a mixt Government and a Qualify'd.

_True._ If ours be a _Mixt Government_, so as to any _Popular Partic.i.p.ation_ of _Power_ with the _King_, then it is not a _Monarchy_: (which is the _Government Only_ of _One_) but if you'l call it a _Qualifi'd Government_; so as to distinguish it from an _Absolute_ and _Unlimited Government_, I'le agree with you. But let the _Government_ be _what_ it will, and _where_ it will, let it do _Right_ or _Wrong_, it is _Equally Unaccountable_, for there lies no _Appeal_, but to a _Superiour_, and the _Supreme_ has _none_ but _G.o.d Himself_.

_Citt._ But if we be a _Free People_, have not _We_ as much _Right_ to _Our Liberties_, as the _King_ has to _his Crown_?

_True._ Yes, we have, but the King has this Advantage of us, that _We_ may _Forfeit_ our _Liberties_ but _He_ cannot forfeit his _Crown_.

_Citt._ What if a _King_ will Transgresse all the Laws of _G.o.d_ and _Man_? may not the _People_ resume their _Trust_?

Power is from G.o.d, not from the People.

Soveraignty of the People most ridiculous.

_True._ No, not unlesse you can produce an expresse _stipulation_ to _That very purpose_. But let me shew you, First, the Errour of taking That to be a _Trust_ from the _People_, which, in truth, is an _Ordinance_ of _Providence_, For _All Power is from G.o.d_; And Secondly, the _Absurdity_ of the very _Supposition_, even in the Case of a Trust conferr'd by the People. If the _King breaks_ his _Trust_, the _People Resume_ it: but _who_ are These _People_? If a _Representative_, they are but _Trustees Themselves_, and may incur a _Forfeiture_ too, by the same Argument. Where are we next then? For if it devolves to the _Loose Mult.i.tude_ of _Individuals_, (which you will have to be the Fountain of _Power_) you are Then in an _Anarchy_, without any Government at all; and There you must either Continue in a _Dissociated State_, or else agree upon _Uniting_ into some Form of _Regiment_, or other: and whether it be _Monarchy_, _Aristocracy_, or _Democracy_, it comes all to a Point. If you make the _Government Accountable_ upon every Humour of the _People_, it lapses again into a _Confusion_. To say nothing of the ridiculous phansy of a _Sovereignty_ in the _People_ upon This Account; that they can never be so brought together either to _Establish_ or to _Dissolve_ a _Government_, as to authorize it to be the _Peoples Act_.

For there must be, _First_, an _Agreement_ to _Meet_ and _Consult_.

_Secondly_, an _Agreement_ upon the _Result_ of That _Debate_; and any _One Dissenter_ spoils all, where every _Individuall_ has an _Equall Right_: So that unlesse the People be all of the same minde, This Supposition will be found wholly Impractible and Idle.

_Citt._ But is there no Fence then against _Tyranny_?

_True._ Only _Patience_, unless you run into _Anarchy_, and then into that which you call _Tyranny_ again; and so tread Eternally that Circle of _Rigour_ and _Confusion_. _In fine_, the Question is this, whether people had better run _Certainly_ into _Confusion_ to avoid a _Possible Tyranny_, or venture a _Possible Tyranny_, to avoid a _Certain Confusion_.

_Citt._ But where we finde _Positive Law_ and _Provisions_ to _fail_ us, may we not in those Cases, betake our selves to the _Laws_ of _Nature_ and _Self-Preservation_?

Self-preservation is no Plea for the People.

_True._ No, ye may not; for many Reasons. First, it makes you _Judges_; not only _when_ those Laws take Place, but also _what_ they _are_.

Secondly, the _Government_ is _Dissolved_, if Subjects may go off or on at pleasure. Thirdly, _Self-Preservation_ is the Plea only of _Individuals_; and there can be no Colour for the exposing of the _Publick_ in favour of _Particulars_. What would ye think of a _Common Seaman_ that in a _Storm_ should throw the _Steers-man Overboard_, and set himself at the _Helm_? Or of a _Souldier_ that shou'd refuse a _Dangerous Post_ for fear of being knock'd on the Head, when the _whole Army_, depends upon the Maintaining of _That Pa.s.s_.

_Citt._ Pray'e tell me what it is that you call _Government_, and how far it _extends_? for you were saying even now, that the _Reason_ of _all Governments_ is _alike_.

What Government is.

Certain Priviledges essential to Government.

_True._ _Government is the_ Will, _and_ Power _of a_ Mult.i.tude, _United in some One Person, or More, for the Good, and safety of the whole._ You must not take it that _all Governments_ are _alike_; but the _Ratio_ of _all Governments_ is the _same_ in some Cases. As in the Instance of _Self-Preservation_; which is only Pleadable by the _Supream Magistrate_, in Bar to all _General Exceptions_; for he is First, presumed in Reason, to be vested with all _Powers necessary_ for the _Defence_, and _Protection_ of the _Community_: without which his Authority is Vain. He is Secondly, Oblig'd in _Duty_ to exert those _Powers_ for the _Common Good_: and he is Thirdly, entrusted with the Judgment of all _Exigences_ of _State_, be they _Greater_ or _Lesse_; wherein the Publick Good may be concern'd. Now put the Case that a Magistrate should make a wrong _Judgment_ of Matters, and misemploy those _Powers_; it were an Infelicity in the _Administration_; but the _Sacredness_ of _Authority_ is still the same: And he is a Mad man, that plucks down his _House_, because it rains in at the _Window_. And in case of the _Magistrate_, it is not so much _He_, as _They_; for the _King_ is (as I said before) the _United Power_ and _Will_ of the _People_. And so Fare ye well.

The End.