Ordered, directed or commanded concerning God. The expreffions are inapplicable to the Deity; though they are common, and those who use them have the best intentions. They are applicable only to men; to whom alone language belongs, and of whofe fenfations only Words are the reprefentatives; to men, who are by nature the fubjects of Orders and commands *, and whofe chief merit is obedience. F. Every thing then that is Ordered and commanded is RIGHT and JUST! H. Surely. For that is only affirming that what is Ordered and commanded, is-Ordered and commanded. F. Now what becomes of your vaunted RIGHTS of man? According to you, the chief merit of men is obedience: and whatever is Ordered and commanded is RIGHT and JUST! This is pretty well for a Democrat! And thefe have always been your fentiments? H. Always. And these fentiments confirm my democracy. * What Ariofto fabled of his horfes, is true of mankind: "Si che in poche ore fur tutti montati, Orl. Fur. Canto XXXVIII. ft. 34. F. These sentiments do not appear to have made you very confpicuous for obedience. There are not a few paffages, I believe, in your life, where you have opposed what was Ordered and commanded. Upon your own principles, was that RIGHT? H. Perfectly. F. How now! Was it Ordered and commanded that you fhould oppose what was Ordered and commanded? Can the fame thing be at the fame time both RIGHT and WRONG? H. Travel back to Melinda, and you will find the difficulty moft eafily folved. A thing may be at the fame time both RIGHT and WRONG, as well as RIGHT and LEFT *. It may be commanded to be done, and commanded not to be done. The Law, * In an action for damages the Counsel pleaded," My client was "travelling from Wimbledon to London: he kept the LEFT fide of the road, and that was RIGHT. The plaintiff was travelling from London to Wimbledon: he kept the RIGHT fide of the road, and that wasWRONG." 66. "The rule of the road is a paradox quite. "In driving your carriage along, "If you keep to the LEFT you are fure to go RIGHT; "If you keep to the RIGHT you go WRONG." 1 Læg, Laz, i. e. That which is Laid down, may be different by different authorities. I have always been moft obedient when most taxed with dif obedience. But my RIGHT hand is not the RIGHT hand of Melinda. The RIGHT I revere is not the RIGHT adored by fycophants; the Jus vagum, the capricious command of princes or minifters. I follow the Law of God (what is Laid down by him for the rule of my conduct) when I follow the LAWS of human nature; which, without any human teftimony, we know muft proceed from God: and upon these are founded the RIGHTS of man, or what is ordered for man. I revere the Conftitution and conftitutional LAWS of England; becaufe they are in conformity with the LAWS of God and nature: and thefe are founded the rational RIGHTS of Englishmen. upon If princes or minifters or the corrupted fham reprefentatives of a people, order, command, or lay down any thing contrary to that which is ordered, commanded or laid down by God, human nature, or the conftitution of this government; I will ftill hold faft by the higher authorities. If the meaner authorities are offended, they can only deftroy the body of the individual; but never can affect the RIGHT, or that which is ordered by their fuperiors. ΕΠΕΑ ЕПЕА ПТЕEPOENTA, &xc. CHAP. II. OF ABSTRACTION. WE F. ELL, Well. I did not mean to touch that ftring which vibrates with you fo ftrongly: I wifh for a different fort of information. Your political principles at prefent are as much out of fafhion as your clothes. H. I know it. I have good reafon to know it. But the fashion muft one day return, or the nation be undone. For without these principles, it is impoffible that the individuals of any country fhould long be happy, or any fociety profperous. F. I do not intend to difpute it with you. I fee evidently that, not He who demands RIGHTS, but He who abjures them, is. ap Anarchift. For, before there can be any thing RECT-um, there there must be Reg-ens, Reg's, Rex *, i. e. Qui or Quod Reg-it. And I admire more than ever your favourite maxim of-Rex, Lex loquens; Lex, Rex mutus. I acknowledge the fenfes he has given us the experience of thofe fenfes and reafon (the effect and refult of thofe fenfes and that experience)-to be the affured teftimony of God: against which no human teftimony ever can prevail. And I think I can discover, by the help of this etymology, a fhorter method of determining disputes between well-meaning men, concerning questions of RIGHT: for, if RIGHT and JUST mean Ordered and commanded, we must at once refer to the Order and command; and to the authority which Ordered and commanded. But I wish at prefent for a different fort of information. Is this manner of explaining RIGHT and JUST and LAW and DROIT and DRITTO peculiarly applicable to thofe words only, or will it apply to others? Will it enable us to account for what is called Abstraction, and for abftract ideas, whofe exiftence you deny? * The following lines have more good fenfe than metre: "Dum Rer a regere dicatur nomen habere, "Nomen habet fine re, nifi ftudet jura tenere." |