from a connection with them. But we had not fortitude enough to confider properly our fituation; nor wisdom and magnanimity enough to conform to it. National fafety was forced to give way to national dignity. Hoftilities against France were begun immediately. And now, with our strength spent, and public credit tottering, we seem to be just entering into a war with the combined powers of France, Spain, and America.

This is, indeed, a prospect so frightful, that I must turn my attention from it. Never did fo dark a cloud hang over this nation. May Heaven avert the ftorm; or, if it muft break, may its fury be mitigated, and the iffue directed to the general advantage of the intereft of truth, liberty and virtue, But, whatever happens, may you and I be found of the number of those righteous perfons who have acted the part of faithful citizens, and with whom all shall go well for

ever.

FINI S.

I.

Published by the fame Author,

And printed for T. CADELL, in the Strand.

Ο

BSERVATIONS on REVERSIONARY PAYMENTS; on Schemes for providing Annuities for Widows, and Perfons in Old Age; on the Method of calculating the Values of Afsurances on Lives; and on the National Debt. To which are added, Four Effays on different Subjects in the Doctrine of Life-Annuities and Political Arithmetic. Alfo, an Appendix, containing a complete Set of Tables; particularly Four New Tables, fhewing the Probabilities of Life in LONDON, NORWICH, and NORTHAMPTON, and the Values of Two joint Lives.

The 3d Edition, with a Supplement, containing (besides fe. veral New Tables) additional Obfervations on the Probabilities of Human Life in different Situations; on the LONDON Societies for the Benefit of Widows and of Old Age; and on the prefent State of Population in this Kingdom. Price 6s.

II. Two Tracts on CIVIL LIBERTY, the WAR with AMERICA, and the Debts and Finances of the Kingdom; with a General Introduction and Supplement. Price 6s. Bound..

III. A Review of the principal Questions and Difficulties in MORALS. Particularly, thofe relating to the Original of our Ideas of Virtue, its Nature, Foundation, Reference to the Deity, Obligation, Subject matter, and Sanctions. The Second Edition corrected. Price 6s.

IV. FOUR DISSERTATIONS.-I. On Providence.-II. On Prayer. III. On the Reasons for expecting that virtuous Men fhall meet after Death in a State of Happinefs-IV. On the Importance of Chriftianity, the Nature of Hiftorical Evidence, and Miracles. The 4th Edition. Price 6s.

V. An APPEAL to the PUBLIC, on the Subject of the NaTIONAL DEBT. The 2d Edition; with an Appendix, containing Explanatory Obfervations and Tables; and an Account of the prefent State of Population in Norfolk. Price 28.

་

REMARKS on a Paffage in the BISHOP of LONDON's Sermon preached at the Chapel Royal on Afb-Wednesday laft.

HE Bishop of London, in a fermon preached

THE

on Afb-Wednesday laft in the Chapel Royal, and fince published and addreffed to the Reverend the Clergy and inhabitants of the diocefe of London, has pointed me out as a perfon "whofe ftudy it has long been to introduce con"fufion, to encourage fedition, and to destroy "all rule and authority, by traducing governst ment, defpifing dominion, fpeaking evil of

་་

dignities, and affuming vifionary and imprac"ticable principles as the only true foundations "of a free government, which tend to raise difcontents in the people, to harden fome in actual G

" rebel

“rebellion, and to difpofe others to follow their ex

Having been always used to venerate the character, as well as the learning and abilities of the Bishop of London, I could not but be affonished at this cenfure. His name and authoşity will give it credit among many uninformed perfons; and they will conclude that the doctrine concerning government which has occafioned it, must be very fhocking, and that the teacher of fuch a doctrine must be very profligate. I will therefore beg leave briefly to state this doctrine.

In oppofition to thofe principles which make civil government to be an APPOINTMENT OF HEAVEN, and the authority of civil governors to be founded on inherent rights of dominion, in the exercife of which they are accountable only to God; I have maintained, that civil government, like our clothes or our houfes, is the contrivance of men for obtaining protection and fecurity, or an expedient for defending their perfons and property against injury; and that, consequently, the power of civil governors is a DELEGATION OF TRUST from the people for this purpose, which they have a right to limit as they please, and, in the exercise of which, civil governors are accountable to them as well as to God:-I have, in the following words, fummed up all I mean on this fubject Legitimate government, as oppofed

3

to oppreffion and tyranny, confifts in the do"minion of equal laws made with common con

fent, or of MEN OVER THEMSELVES; and not " in the dominion of communities over communities, or of ANY MEN OVER OTHER MEN." See the Introduction to the two Tracts on Civil Liberty, page 7th.

This is the doctrine concerning government which the learned and worthy Bishop has, at the Chapel Royal, and in an enumeration of the national vices, cenfured as vifionary and dangerous; and in order to prove it fo, he has, in a note, quoted two paffages from my Tracts; in the firft of which I have faid, "that as far as, in any inftance, the operation of any cause comes in to "reftrain the power of felf-government in a ftate, "fo far flavery is introduced." And in the fecond," that the reprefentation of a kingdom ought to

66

be complete; and that no ftate, a part only of "which is reprefented in the legiflature that go

veras it, can be faid to be felf-governed." See firft Tract, page 5. and fecond Tract, page 6. From these affertions, he fays, it follows, that a veft majority of the people of England, all that have no vote for reprefentatives in parliament, are faves. Ib. page 17.

In order to judge properly of thefe paffages, and the inference which the Bishop draws from them, I muft defire it may be confidered that I have repeatedly faid, that by the state I mean "the

G 2