every measure of his fucceffors which promifes to promote the general welfare; however evidently it may contribute to raise them in the public estimation, and confequently to obftruct the return of himself and his friends to the helm of Government. When their proceedings are unjustifiable and unwife, he will oppose them with fteady perfeverance; but fo as to prove that he oppofes not the Members, but the Politics of Adminiftration. He will reflect that his country, though no longer entrusting him with the fupreme direction of her affairs, regards him, in confequence of the ftation which he has filled, as in some measure the appointed inspector and fuperintendant of the prefent Minifters. The duties of that honourable employment he will vigilantly and faithfully discharge. But he will discharge them as a public fervant exercising a public truft. He will not harafs his competitors, victorious in the conteft for popular favour, with vexatious and unmerited oppofition; nor, by thwarting their views and obftructing their plans, revenge on the Nation at large his private wrongs and his private disappointments.

CHAP

CHAP. VIII.

ON THE DUTIES OF NAVAL AND MILITARY

OFFICERS.

THAT

an individual may refort to the use of force in behalf of himself, or of others not averse to receive his affiftance, when force is neceffary for the purpose of repelling or of preventing oppreffion, or of obtaining reparation for injuries fuftained, is one of the fundamental principles of morality fuggested by natural reason. It is a principle which may be applied feparately and fucceffively to the cafe of every individual; and, confequently, to the individuals compofing a Nation. Hence appears the natural right of a Nation to enter, under certain circumftances, into a war against other Nations in fupport of its own rights, or of the rights of other communities whom it undertakes to protect. Hence too appear the limits by which that right is naturally circumfcribed. Neither the unconnected

4

nected individual nor the Nation is authorised to employ force, until peaceable applications. for redrefs have been fully tried, and found ineffectual; nor to perfift in the use of it, if a fair probability appears that the renewal of negotiation would prove fuccessful; nor to carry it further than is requifite for the purpose of obtaining reasonable indemnification and fecurity. Farther, as no man by becoming a member of a Community, or by any other step, can exempt himself from the natural obligation of benevolence; the Nation, conformably to the motives which confcience would fuggeft to the individual, is bound in point of moral duty to relax, as far as a prudent regard to safety will permit, in the claims which in strict justice it might impose on its adverfaries, when an end may thus be put to the contest; rather than by rigorously pushing its equitable demands to the utmost, to introduce or prolong the calamities of war. It is true that many reasons may exist, which may render it impoffible that the fame degree of forbearance which might take place without danger in the cafe of two individuals, whether unconnected by focial ties, or belong

VOL. I.

T

ing

ing to the fame Community, can be fafely fhewn by one State towards another. The real characters and defigns of the Governors of the adverse Nation cannot be thoroughly known; those Governors may speedily give place to others lefs known; experience juftifies the conclufion that policy and intereft, rather than good faith and duty, will be found to guide the conduct of them all; the magnitude of the interefts involved, at least the multitude of persons who share in them, renders caution and steady firmness peculiarly requifite. But though these and other fimilar arguments indicate the hazard of unwarily receding from necessary demands; they are far from proving that no forbearance is to be fhewn by one State towards another, or that much more forbearance ought not to be fhewn than is commonly displayed.

It has been fatisfactorily demonstrated by other writers, that Chriftianity does not impair the natural right of felf-defence; that John the Baptift's admonition to the foldiers, “to be " content with their wages," implied their continuance in the legion; that Chrift re

warded

warded the faith of the Centurion without reproving in the flightest degree his known profeffion; that Cornelius, the firft of the Gentile converts, received no direction from St. Peter to quit the army; and that the feemingly paffive precepts of the Gospel, not to refift injuries, when fmitten on one cheek to turn the other, when robbed of our coat voluntarily to give our cloak alfo, and any fimilar declarations, are to be understood by us as they would affuredly be understood by Chrift's hearers, accustomed to the figurative mode of teaching prevalent in the Eaft; namely, as prohibiting every species of injuftice, malice, and revenge, and as inculcating the pureft principles of benevolence and forbearance; but as permitting, under the influence of thofe principles, the repreffion of serious injuries by force, when nothing short of force would be effectual.

War then, in certain emergences, being admitted to be no breach of Moral or of Chriftian duty, we are now to confider the duties of those who are to carry it on.

Officers employed in the defence of their

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country,