Squatter sovereign., 1856-01-22

| tience under control, how wise and salutary
that control may be. Man admits the ne
cessity of control imposed by authority and
enforced by law. but he prefers such con-
troll only as he would impose himself, Sc
that he could change it orssthrow it away
altogether when he pleased-just as fancy
and caprice might suggest.
But absolute liberty and independence
is fact no more admitted in the universe
than absolute equality. A state of perfect
Liberty is that which is given and secured
by system of perfect law: state where
tthe limits and boundaries of the former
are the limits and boundaries of the latter
And liberty then, paradoxical as it may
seem, is condition Of wise and salutary
restraint, guarded and secured by a system
of wise and wholesome laws. And such
are all the laws Of Nature. We know by
experience that they are most salutary and
wise. We know that by yielding perfect
obedience to them We are free from all the
pains and penalties which their violations
impose upon the offender. And natural
liberty does not consist in absolute freedom
of action, but in continuous course of ac-
ton in accordance with the laws of Nature,
of natural freedom And such also is the
character of the written laws of God
They are perfect. They constitute sys-
tenn of moral laws as perfect as the laws
Of Nature; and constitute also system of
liLerty-the only system of perfect liberty
the world has ever possessed. And hence
one Of the apostles calls the gospel the
perfect law of liberty. And moral liberty,
like natural, does not consist IN absolute
freedom of action. but in course o. ec-
ton in obedience to these laws And he
who yields the most perfect obedience to
them enjoys the most perfect freedom from
all the moral Pains and penalties which
their tran.gression infic.s.
Now the natural and moral adrninistra-
on Of God, under which man is placed,
are both perfect laws. or administrations of
liberty; and anything better than they for
man, in his present state Of existence and
condition, could not be framed but man,
In consequence Of his characteristic inpa-
ticnce under control ana restraint, is ever
mcdd.ing with this constitution Of God,
either TO change tor disregard ii altogeth-
or. and in place thereof substitute the Gre
atoms Of his own wisdom. This has ever
been the fact in the history Of m.n. The
Jews soon grew impatient under the re-
straint Of their divine poli,y, and in the
pride and vanity Of their hearts. by what
they considered improvements and reforms,
Sc, aside, or nuf,i6ed, all the essential laws
of The constitution which God had given
them. Nor was the christian dispensation
"a more simple and liberal system than
the permitted long in the world,
before 1t suffered similar fate. Man
sooa began TO improve it TO make it wiser
and more perfect than it came from the
hands OF its divine authors.
Reforms and Improvements are the Or
or of the day. But almost all their re.
forming measures consist in departing far
,her and still farther from the ORDER and
economy of God, instead Of returning to
them; and as every departure from that
order and economy only leads to evil con-
sequences, disorder and confusion, more
and greater measures Of reform arc need
ed. And this is become the leading pro-
fcssion and business Of the age. Men,
and some women, too. who cannot become
eminent and distinguished in the common
walks and avoca,ions of life, seek for dis
iinction and eminencc in the works of re-
form. Nor are they satisfied with a mod
crate degree OF distinction and renown and
fame in this business, but aspire to the
highest degree attcinable by reforming the
laws and constitution of God.
There are two kinds Of evils in the world.
Some are the consequences of bad laws
and bad government; others are the re-
suits of the corruptions and evil passions OF
the huma n heart, which excite impatienee
and discomfort under the restraints OF su-
,hority and law the mos, salutary and wise.
OF these two classes Of evils, the first can
be reformed and cured, by reforming the
laws and government that create them /;
but the latter must be reformed in them-
selves, and that can only be done by sus-
tanning the authority and enforcing the
laws under which this evil exists, and by
exercising and employing faithfully all the
means of correction. instruction and i'm
provement they contain.