Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1801-08-24
% pals IA impuuity g!

An individual, who, IN 2utiaing good,
or avoiding evil, can, BY an aet of. vol,-
rion, command every member CT his body,
ard every faculty Of his mind, to infant
and ftrenuous exertion, according to the
degree of force he may poilsis, is perfect.
And, in proportion as the connection be
tween his volitiCns and exertions cea'es,
he is imperfect. So fate which, ny It's
voli,;ons or laws, can controul all its
members and their reiources, on all ensr-
geacies, as the common good and fafety
requires, according TO the degree of force
It may pcHefs, IS alto perfect and 70 far
as i, falls .fhortcf this, it is imperfect. |
faall not be ti,cughr, ! hope, to digrsis
TOO far from my inbjett, in renarking,
sha, under every f'rpof,ble form Of 60
vernmenr the power onght TO be fupremc.
It cannot reaionably be objected to this,
,ha. iuch power may be abuled, for, under
the notion of preventing evil, by a limi-
-ia,ion cf,psser, yauwdt equally preveat
gsed yop will render~,sa isatsincoirre-
tent TO the psrpoits cs;tsowu exi:tence ard
hap2,neis. Such caution would be as ab-
iuri, as to bini man 10 chains, became
he can, if he pleaie, ceiroy isuAslf and
20 prevent his exeieihug his faculties an
his OWE defence and iupport. The point
Is, to dcpoGt. ;he power under iuch CHI
.oumfances, TINT they, who exercie it,
-canno, drd iutEcicas motives to abuie 1t.
lie Legislative power, hcwcver, will not
y,,,,ra-iIy extend is.elt 70 far, as 10 tax
.co2a;zance of the common aetions of the
sitizyns for this would be hurtfu!, Il in
deed it were practicable, bur it viii: take
sognizance even Of thole aeions. when
they prove injurious to others, or so'sac
public. This, however, is not properly
a Limitation of power, it is rather iuch
limitation of its exercfe as found dill
. cretion prefcribes. 1t reiults, in part
from the imperfeaion Of human govern
inents they cannot embrace, becauie they
cannot manage a field 70 EXTENDED. The
.sovcrnmen, Of God reaches the thoughts,
words and aftiors, os al! intelligent crea-
lures in his hands, iuch a government Is
deGrabis, becauie he can and will !minil-
ter it wi:eIy, and without tie pohibility
Of error or intake. But human govern
meats will not ordinarily controui men in
ire puriuit Of their 1everal enjoyments,
provided they 70 ufe their own, as not to
injaeshe rights of Others.
Dut whenever the will Of fate is
made known, as it is in lis laws, it binds
the conferences cfall the citizens, ard eve
ry foul Gculd be fubjea 10 it, unlefs it be
clearly contrary TO the law Of God; in
which cafe, he mat obey God rather ,Eau
man. If the will of the fate require me
TO coE:ni. murder, to teal, or TO lie, to
c7onra,e T., : !ore an idol as an at Of
wor.eip, or to deny the ChriGian faith,
:; nay nor OBEY becaaie am bound by
fuperio. law. bat this is the only ex-
ception which, as i, reipsSts an H.
.aiiy.dual can exit. The cafes which at
teH the great mas of the people 70 as to
iuiiify remittance, ccnfder not.
An aGsion, liwiul ii i,ieli, if prohibit
sd by law, becomes morally evil; for
we mua be fubjea rot only for wrath,
but alto !or conference fake. If the law,
for inaance, forbid the taking OF more
than fix per cent. ;n;ereit for the loan or
s,rbcararce Of one hunired pounds for a
year, whatever I may think of the poll
cy Ct the law, It binds my confidence
mutt iubmis NV will to this, as we'll as
20 every ether ordinance Of man, for the
Lords i.ke.. Il is no found anfwer to1he
fate TO lay, II chooie to ritk the penal
~, am at liberty to violate the law, g.
when I have borne the penalty l fhaIl
fa1d r;glt with the law. Fer, though
the law have no further iepands, ye, the
infection Of the penalty for my dnobedi-
ence does not oontitute me good citizen;
1 IT'LL merit dilapprobasion as much as be-
fore. If all my fsliow-citizens lhould
follow my example, 10 like cafes, there
would be an end os government, The