The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

204 SERMONS.fame : Hence it is, that ilierc as well as here homan's property, or perfonal freedom, or life, is at thearbitrary difpofal of any fingle pcrfon or governorlie iiy fubjeft only to tjie laws ; he is to be judgedby the laws alone : Hence it is, that by chartersgranted to the colonies by th& crown, and fome ofthem feveral times renewed, no man is to be taxedbut with his own confent, or the confent of his reprefentativein a lawful aflembly. It is by tliis liber"ty that the Britifh colonics have fo wonderfully flourifhed; and cur parliament is too wife not to fee thatthe fame liberty is neceffary to encoura'ge thofe fettlementswhich are yet to be made on fuch an extenfivevacant territory. Without this, the prefent colonieswould dwindle to ruin, and any new fettiement wouldbe crufhed in its infancy. We have indeed, for fometime paft, been hearing a voice or cry from NorthAmerica, that its liberties, folemnly fecured by charters,are like to be infringed •, that fome wrong-headedftatefmen have been purfuing meafures detrimentalto the mother-country, and deftrudlive to the colonies; and that it could not have been forcfeen, thatever the Britilli miniftry would be fo ignorant or defpoticas to think of fuch ruinous laws with refpedl toAmerica as in fa