The Scripture sufficiently discovers those restrictions and rules, which
God himself has prescribed and laid down, for directing and determining
of his people's procedure about the erection of magistrates. And profane
history abounds in discovering certain fundamental laws and conditions
to take place, almost in every nation, without conforming to which, none
can be admitted to that dignity over them. But to what purpose are any
such laws and constitutions, if this vague principle is once admitted,
which cancels and disannuls all such provisos and acts? Why should
_Moses_ have been so solicitous about his successor in the government of
_Israel, Numb._ xxvii, 15-17, if God had ordained the inclinations of
the people alone should determine? Or to what purpose did _Israel_,
after the death of _Joshua_, ask of God, who should be their leader, if
their own inclinations alone were sufficient to determine it? If God has
declared, that the corrupt will of the people is the alone basis of
civil power, then, not only are all state constitutions and fundamental
laws useless, because, on every vacancy of the throne, they not only
must all give place to the superior obligation, the incontrollable law,
of the uncertain inclinations of the body politic, but they are in their
nature unlawful; their proper use in every nation being to prevent all
invasion upon the government by unqualified persons, and to illegitimate
it, if at any time done.
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