The seditious principle viz. that the supreme power is inherent in the people, and that perpetually as in the proper subject (upon which the late lawlesse actings against the King were grounded, and from which the long thraldom and misery of the three nations did ensue) : examined and confuted / by John Novell...

A Short Account of the danger of this PRINCIPLE

THis popular and loose Doctrine was easily learned, and greedily swallowed by many undiscerning People. And by this were they soone flattered into their own undoing, and made very active Contributers to their own destruction. They were told that Power was but derivative in the Prince, and that, of right, the Soveraignty was theirs, as properly inherent in them; And, that they could never recover their native Liberty, but by casting off the yoke of all subjection to the most ancient and only lawful Government of the Nation; till, having lost the be∣nefit of it, and protection by it, the pretended Liberty shew'd it self in its proper and true Colours of perfect bondage and misery. The truth of this they have very long and very severely been school'd into: Neverthelesse it is probable, that many of them are not yet aware, that, so long as this pernicious Principle is where it was, uncondemned, and perhaps, undiscerned by many, the common danger of future Mischief by it is not yet removed. I∣dem quâ idem semper facit idem. If this, and this only hath been the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the main leading Cause (as indeed it hath) of the slavery and misery we have long endured, there can be no absolute and perfect Cure of these Evils with prevention of future danger, without a total and timely removal of that Cause.

This Principle then had need be fetch'd out of the hearts and the heads of the Obstinate by a more powerful and effectual Con∣futation than that which is but verbal, though never so Logical or Apodictical: Argumentum baculinum, or a good severe Law

against it, were perhaps (at such a time as this) no more than necessary. But all they that have any thing of good in them will certainly, by arguments truly and logically deduced from the Ora∣cles of God, effectually be wrought upon: Especially considering, that so long as this Principle remains in any credit and uncon∣demned [That the proper and perpetual Right to the power is the Peoples;] Whensoever the multitudes of Seditious Spirits that are still (though dispersed) where they were, and the same men they were, and may secretly grow to be yet more in number, can have the opportunity to rally and (by Conspiracy) get into a Body, though they be not the fortieth part of the Nation, they will by and by call themselves the people: And then (next to the grand Cheat & Mock∣ery of seeming Sanctimony) by a false pretense of standing up for the Peoples Right, bring the whole People (many of their own par∣ty not excepted) into that (or a worse) ruine and desolation (if they can,) which no humane wisdom or power without the immediate helping hand of God, could have now rescu'd and redeem'd us from.

That damnable Principle is therefore the most pernicious and dadgerous Cousenage that ever any people was abused and deluded by. And if this were all, it were not so fit for one of my profession to have medled with it: But, 'tis also a Principle of Infidelity, and of Rebellion against God; as being expressely repugnant to the general Torrent of the Testimonies and Instances contained in His written Word. And upon that precise account, there is here endeavoured a Confutation of it.