Having said thus much by way of Parallel, give me leave to conclude the Comparison between these two Innocents, as I first introduc'd it, with taking Notice of one other material Difference between the two Histories. Naboth's Murderer, tho' above the Reach of human Justice, saw, and confess'd, and bewail'd his Guilt, and humbled himself so effectually before God, that the Vengeance he requir'd for that innocent Blood (for innocent Blood will be aveng'd, nor is it any Security to us, that it was not shed by us, or in our Days) was not immediately taken, but postpon'd till another Generation.
But the Royal Murderers show'd no Remorse. The Regicides of this Day continu'd to the last Inflexible and Obdurate: Their Hearts were so hardned by the just Judgment of God for their accumulated Wickedness; that even those of 'em who, by his peculiar Providence, were reserv'd for publick Justice, were so far from any
Signs of Repentance, that they even Gloried in the inhuman Deed. I come now in the
II. Place to consider the Nature and Consequences of the Fact committed on this Day. The Nature of it may be in a great Measure judg'd, from what has been already said. But farther to convince us of the enormous Guilt of it, let us take it, as attended with the following Circumstances.
For a Sovereign and Hereditary Monarch (it was then an Hereditary Monarchy sure) after many other previous Outrages and Affronts, to be brought to the Bar, as a common Malefactor, and that before a pretended High-Court compos'd of his own Subjects, surrounded with a Guard of his own Soldiers, to be Arraign'd of Treason, to be Sentenc'd to Death, and Executed on a Scaffold, in his Capital City, and before the Walls of his own Palace: And all this to gratify the Ambition or Revenge of a few turbulent Spirits, whilst a far greater Number, who disapprov'd of that rigorous Extremity, cou'd yet be contented to stand by as unconcern'd Spectators, and suffer the bloody Tragedy to be Acted, without offering to interpose, or stirring to the Rescue of their Prince: The Fact I say thus circumstantiated, is not to be equal'd in any History, by which Majesty its self, as well as the Person of the King, was so outragiously insulted.
And that all this should be done in a Kingdom, by the undoubted and fundamental Laws whereof (I speak in the very Words of a Law, made indeed since the horrid Fact, but made, not to constitute, but recognize this Essential Prerogative, as antecedently inherent in the Crown, that) neither the Peers of the Realm, nor the Commons, nor both together, in Parliament, or out of Parliament, nor the People Collectively, nor Representatively, nor any other Persons whatsoever, ever had, have, or ought to have any coercive Power over the Persons of the Kings of the Realm. [Note: Stat. 12. Car. 2. Ch. 30. §. 7.]
And if no such Authority was lodg'd with the whole Body of Subjects, how much less cou'd it be claim'd by that inconsiderable Remnant of one House, which without the Concurrence of the other, and whilst the far greater Part of its own Members were kept out by Force of Arms; had the Confidence to usurp the venerable Name of Parliament.
Never was that happy Part of our Constitution, that Necessary Fence against Arbitrary Rule, and Bulwark of English Laws and Liberties, so reproachfully perverted. Never were the People of England so untruly said to be represented: which they no more were, by the corrupt Refuse of that Assembly; than the Catholic Church was fairly represented in the pretended Council of Trent, where only those cou'd be admitted, who were the known Favorers of the Pope's Supremacy, and who wou'd be sure to do his Work effectually.