Page:A Seasonable Warning and Exhortation of the Commission of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.pdf/10

( 2 )

the World:——Witneſs the Treatment of John Huſs and Jerom of Prague^[1], and the barbarous Maſſacres of Paris^[2] and Ireland^[3].

To ſtrengthen this pretended Security, a Promiſe is made to call a free Parliament, and to act always by the Advice of Parliaments.——But, can any thing be more abſurd, than to imagine, that he who founds his Title to govern upon an hereditary and indefeaſible Right; that he who conſiders the whole Nation as his natural Eſtate, and all the Members thereof as his Property, will allow himſelf to be reſtricted by any Limitation, or have Regard to any thing but ſole Will and Pleaſure? What Authority can Laws have, when, notwithſtanding the moſt notorious Violations of them, this pretended Right remains entire, and not to be forfeited by any Conduct whatſoever?

By theſe Principles of indefeaſible hereditary Right and arbitrary Power, France and Spain are governed. Theſe are the Principles the late King James purſued in his Adminiſtration; notwithſtanding the Declaration he made, immediately upon his acceſſion to the Throne, in the Engliſh Council and Parliament; than which nothing can now be deviſed ſtronger: And notwithſtanding the ſolemn Engagements he then came under to govern according to Law; yet did he break through all theſe Engagements; on which Accounts he juſtly forfeited the Crown.

Have we not Reaſon to think the Pretender would do the ſame; who ſays in his Declaration, That all who are employed in the Service of the preſent Government cannot but be ſenſible, that no Engagements entered into with our only rightful Sovereign King George, whom he arrogantly calls the Uſarper, can diſpenſe with the Allegiance they owe to their Natural Sovereign, as he vainly calls himſelf?——Can we then believe His Declarations of eſtabliſh-ing

 

1. Who were both burnt at Conſtance, for what the Church of Rome called Hereſy, though the firſt of them had the ſolemn Deed of the Emperor, for his ſafe Paſſage to, and Return from thence; and the Council of Conſtance, then ſitting, declares, That, notwithſtanding the ſaid ſafe Conduct, the Church had a Right to condemn him, and deliver him over to the Flames.
2. Where and in other Cities of France, 30,000 Innocents were murdered in a very ſhort Time, without Diſtinction of Age, Sex, or Condition; at the News of which Slaughter the Court of Rome triumph'd, and cauſed Medals to be ſtruck for the perpetual Memorial of it.
3. In which ſome hundred thouſands of Proteſtants periſhed.