Self - government effential to ifdonl. 233 ble that there is a great dignity and pleafure S E R M. in the exercife of true liberty, or of acting IX. freely according to the belt judgment we can `'"".# make of things ; and that it is an, abject and a painful (late of mind, to be driven and hurried blindly, without feeing the grounds we go upon. Now, a confuted imagina- tion and tumultuous paffions tend to defiroy freedom ; the foul, through their influence, is cramped and ftraitened, nay, becometh impotent, and fo is deprived of the true and fubftantial pleafures of liberty, This is a juft reafon for refilling vigoroufly the ty- ranny of Tuft and paflìon. Why do we fo highly refent the incroachment made upon our freedom by others, and tenacioufly alert the right of judging for ourfelves, and act- ing according to the belt judgment we can make, if we will meanly give up that right to an ufurping tyrant within, which equally taketh away the privilege, namely, liberty in acting according to the approbation of the underftanding upon a deliberate inquiry, which they who are concluded wholly by their imaginations and paffions cannot boaft of. It is true fuch men boaft of liberty, which they place in carting off the reftraints of reafon and confcience, but, indeed, are under the bafeít and molt wretched fervi- tude,
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