Selections from the Speeches and Writings of Edmund BurkeBurke, Edmund
Philosophy
Selections from the Speeches and Writings of Edmund Burke
Burke, Edmund
Burke, Edmund, 1729-1797; Essays; Political science; Speeches, addresses, etc.
By contending for liberty in the candidate for orders, you take away the
liberty of the elector, which is the people; that is, the state. If
they can choose, they may assign a reason for their choice; if they
can assign a reason, they may do it in writing, and prescribe it as a
condition; they may transfer their authority to their representatives,
and enable them to exercise the same. In all human institutions a great
part, almost all regulations, are made from the mere necessity of the
case, let the theoretical merits of the question be what they will. For
nothing happened at the reformation, but what will happen in all
such revolutions. When tyranny is extreme, and abuses of government
intolerable, men resort to the rights of nature to shake it off.
When they have done so, the very same principle of necessity of human
affairs, to establish some other authority, which shall preserve
the order of this new institution, must be obeyed, until they grow
intolerable; and you shall not be suffered to plead original liberty
against such an institution. See Holland, Switzerland.
If you will have religion publicly practised and publicly taught, you
must have a power to say what that religion will be which you will
protect and encourage; and to distinguish it by such marks and
characteristics, as you in your wisdom shall think fit. As I said
before, your determination may be unwise in this as in other matters,
but it cannot be unjust, hard, or oppressive, or contrary to the liberty
of any man, or in the least degree exceeding your province.
It is therefore as a grievance fairly none at all, nothing but what
is essential not only to the order, but to the liberty, of the whole
community.
REVOLUTIONARY POLITICS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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