What may be opposed to this saying.

The general Consent of the People, in conjunction with Common Good, or these two joyned, never was actually in Pra∣ctice, nor never can be. Where, or how can all the People meet? or if that could be, how can they joyn in establish∣ing of the Notion of Common Good? Were they ever all of one mind? Were not they ever, since things were, of divers Parties, and those of different Judgments, what the Common Good was? Was there not partiality in every Party? And did not every Party helieve that was the Common Good, which they apprehended to be so, and suited best with their In∣terest, and Proposals to themselves? But the People meet by their Representa∣tives. Did ever all the People meet to choose them? Hath not a Party com∣monly chosen for the whole, excluding all others? Or have not Men of a Par∣ty imposed themselves upon the People, and usurped the general consent of the whole? Upon a strict enquiry, this will appear to have been the general Pra∣ctice. Where then is the General Con∣sent of the People; as for Common Good, enough hath been said before to invali∣date that pretence; and for the Con∣junction of the General consent of the Peo∣ple and Common Good, the Author talks of, let him shew it practicable if he can. Do as you would be done by, is the Ground and Foundation of Common Good (as hath been said before) but when, and Page  20 where did the general and free Consent of the People, high and low, concur and unite in this Foundation? If all Men would build upon it, none could receive wrong or injury; there could be no Disputes about any matter whatever, if Men would make this Rule the mea∣sure of their Actions. In the mean time, while Men can arrive at this per∣fection, The Legal Constitution by which the Kingdom hath flourisht, and been supported in great Reputation for some hundreds of years, is the best and safest Rule for all sober Men (to use the Au∣thors Phrase) to proceed by. When Men go from the Law, and legal Estab∣lishment, they walk in the dark, and go they know not whither, and travel while they make themselves not only uneasie but miserable.

'Tis a strange fate upon the People, that their name is always used; their be∣nefit pretended; their power to create right to Govern, and Governors magni∣fied by restless Projectors, whose only design is to dig up the very Foundations of Legal Settlements, and such as by ma∣ny Ages have been found by experi∣ence to have been for the ease, quiet, and benefit of the People, who are ne∣ver in greater danger, than when they listen to such Men, that promise to make them happy by Eutopian, Illegal, and Impracticable Schemes and Devices; af∣ter misery and desolation is brought up∣on them, their Consent is pretended, and vouched to warrant it. If the Au∣thor could have prevailed with himself to have read the several Declarations, Remonstrances, and almost innumerable other Papers, printed between the years 1640. and 1660. all filled with the Con∣sent, Rights, and Authority of the People; and holding forth Common Good, and Pub∣lick Interest, and asserting and maintain∣ing both those impracticable Notions (af∣ter such manner, as the People are made to believe they belong unto them) in eve∣ry change of Affairs and Government, that then happened; he could not have been so fond of, or so often have vain∣ly, and to no purpose repeated these two empty, idle sayings, and expressi∣ons.