Histories. Naboth's Murderer, tho' above the Reach of human Justice, saw, and confess'd, and bewail'd his Guilt, and humbled himself so effectually before God, that the Vengeance he requir'd for that innocent Blood (for innocent Blood will be aveng'd, nor is it any Security to us, that it was not shed by us, or in our Days) was not immediately taken, but postpon'd till another Generation.

But the Royal Murderers show'd no Remorse. The Regicides of this Day continu'd to the last Inflexible and Obdurate: Their Hearts were so hardned by the just Judgment of God for their accumulated Wickedness; that even those of 'em who, by his peculiar Providence, were reserv'd for publick Justice, were so far from any

Signs of Repentance, that they even Gloried in the inhuman Deed. I come now in the

II. Place to consider the Nature and Consequences of the Fact committed on this Day. The Nature of it may be in a great Measure judg'd, from what has been already said. But farther to convince us of the enormous Guilt of it, let us take it, as attended with the following Circumstances.

For a Sovereign and Hereditary Monarch (it was then an Hereditary Monarchy sure) after many other previous Outrages and Affronts, to be brought to the Bar, as a common Malefactor, and that before a pretended High-Court compos'd of his own Subjects, surrounded with a Guard of his own Soldiers, to be Arraign'd of Treason, to be Sentenc'd to Death, and Executed on a Scaffold, in his Capital City, and before the Walls of his own Palace: And all this to gratify the Ambition or Revenge of a few turbulent Spirits, whilst a far greater Number, who disapprov'd of that rigorous Extremity, cou'd yet be contented to stand by as unconcern'd Spectators, and suffer the bloody Tragedy to be Acted, without offering to interpose, or stirring to the Rescue of their Prince: The Fact I say thus circumstantiated, is not to be equal'd in any History, by which Majesty its self, as well as the Person of the King, was so outragiously insulted.

And that all this should be done in a Kingdom, by the undoubted and fundamental Laws whereof (I speak in the very Words of a Law, made indeed since the horrid Fact, but made, not to constitute, but recognize this Essential Prerogative, as antecedently inherent in the Crown, that) neither the Peers of the Realm, nor the Commons, nor both together, in Parliament, or out of Parliament, nor the People Collectively, nor Representatively, nor any other Persons whatsoever, ever had, have, or ought to have any coercive Power over the Persons of the Kings of the Realm. [Note: Stat. 12. Car. 2. Ch. 30. §. 7.]

And if no such Authority was lodg'd with the whole Body of Subjects, how much less cou'd it be claim'd by that inconsiderable Remnant of one House, which without the Concurrence of the other, and whilst the far greater Part of its own Members were kept out by Force of Arms; had the Confidence to usurp the venerable Name of Parliament.

Never was that happy Part of our Constitution, that Necessary Fence against Arbitrary Rule, and Bulwark of English Laws and Liberties, so reproachfully perverted. Never were the People of England so untruly said to be represented: which they no more were, by the corrupt Refuse of that Assembly; than the Catholic Church was fairly represented in the pretended Council of Trent, where only those cou'd be admitted, who were the known Favorers of the Pope's Supremacy, and who wou'd be sure to do his Work effectually.

But let us suppose they had a Power over his Person, and withal that he had misemploy'd his Regal Administration as much as some have represented him to have done; let us take all for Truth that inveterate Malice, or factious Prejudice has endeavour'd to fasten on him; even these Provocations were far from sufficient to justify so extravagant a Remedy as the shedding of his Blood.

Much less when they liv'd under so mild a Government, and a Prince so tender of the Rights and Liberties of his Subjects as he naturally was in his own Temper.

I pretend not to deny that, even in his Reign, there were some just Causes of Complaint, some real Grievances, some unwarrantable Impositions and unjustifiable Demands. Princes are but Men, and fallible like other Men, nor is it any great Wonder if the best of 'em mistake the Extent of their Prerogative, when persuaded into an undue Opinion of it, by those that shou'd advise 'em better.

But how easily might those Greivances have been set right in Time, had not the rough and undutiful Manner in which the Redress of 'em was sought, made him believe for a time there were none that needed it. But when once he was convinc'd of their Reality, how willingly did he redress 'em all, and more than all, that cou'd with any show of Justice be complain'd of, or be thought to deserve the Name of

Hardships! How often might Things have been brought to a better Temper, and the unhappy Breach accommodated, had not their own Obstinacy prevented it, whom no Degree of Royal Condescension would satisfie or appease; but his Blood they would have, and his Blood they had: The Guilt whereof has ever since lay heavy on this sinful Nation, and even now calls for our deepest Humiliation, to deprecate that Vengeance of Almighty God, which might justly be inflicted on the remote Posterity of the Actors in that unnatural Parricide.

He has abundantly testified his Displeasure at it, by many bad and mischeivous Consequences it has produc'd, some of which we still smart under, tho' not the first I am going to mention, which is

The Confusion of those Times that immediately ensu'd. The miserable State of Anarchy to which this unhappy Country was reduc'd, after the Extirpation of the Royal Family, may be a Warning to all querulous Innovators, who are never contented with the present State of Things. They compass'd their Wish at last, and had the Satisfaction of seeing both Kingly and Episcopal Government at once abolish'd, and themselves, (as they suppos'd) in a State of religious and civil Liberty.

But did they enjoy that Liberty any otherwise than in Name? Did it not cost 'em much dearer to maintain their new Lords in their

ill-gotten Tyranny, than ever it had done to supply the Exigencies of their lawful Prince? Was the Freedom of Parliament, and Right of Elections more inviolably kept? Were they less under the Terror of an armed Force? Were there fewer Executions, Fines and Imprisonments? Was the Course of the Law more free and undisturb'd, or Justice more equitably and impartially Administer'd? Were the Taxes more moderate, the Loans of Money less constrain'd, or the Public Faith (when no Body knew what or where the Public was) a better Security for what was lent, than before this violent Convulsion of the State.

No. The Reverse of all this is notoriously true, if there be any Truth in History. They dream't and rav'd of Oppression before, but they were then opprest in Earnest. They were before chastis'd with imaginary Whips, but then with real Scorpions. And surely it was a just Judgment of God upon 'em for their Inconstancy of