Of the Nature and [atJ[es of Go-vernment. CHAP. ll I. 'DireElions for SubjeEls co11cerning tl!eir duty to their (j{_ulM. BEing now to fpcak of the duties which I mufi pra6Mc, and to thofc of my own rank, I !lull do it with fame more freedom, confidence and expeCt:ation of regard and practice. §. r. Direct. I· 1bough IjhaY'f>af' by moj! of tbe theory, and ejpeciaYy _of the controver{al points in PoiitickJ, and notprrfumt to pl.ty the Lawytrr part; yet I mujf aduife you to underftand fo mucb of thec:mfo, and uature and end of Government, as is neaffary to direct you in your obedience, and to pr;.firve you from ali te~zpta.tionr to rtbe#io1t. Efpecially take l~eed of th.ofe milhkes which co~found foveraignty and fubjcCbon, and whtch delude the people wuh a conceu that they are the On– ginal of powc:r, and _rn1y enuul\ it ~s they pleafe' an.d eaU their Rul~rs to accou~t, and take the for– feiwre and recall rheu trufl, &c. Jt 1s not to Jhtter Kmgs, but to gtve God Ius due, that I {hall cautiO\; you againli thcfc mifiakes of Popularity: And tirtll Onll briefly lay down the truth, and then an[wcr fome few of the chief objections. 9 .- §. 2· Propof. I· <(h;t there be Government i~t gcnere, and obedience thereto, if determined evm in Na- Ni~il D"o turt, by the Gcd of Nzture, in mak,..ing maJt a foci;b/e creature, and co~ch ma1~ infufficient for himfclf, and qut ~mncm i~ rnakjng Republ~ck.f 11ttejf.l.r)~ tothe wdf:~re and fafety of !ndividu:~lf, and Government mccfT<~ry to ~hefe ~~~~ ~e~it, Rtpublici<f. Th1s therefore 15 n:>t letc to the peoples wllls. Though fame odd cafes may be tma- acceptius, gincd, in which fomc individull p~r[ons, may live out of a Common-wealth, and not be obliged to quam concil~a live undet Civil·Govcrnment; yet thlt exception doth but confirm the general Rule : Even as all cztufq; ho~L3 men ordinarily are bound 10 livc::in Communion with fame particular Church, and know iheir own ~ir~r~u~p~L;1..;. Pafior, though yet fume few may be excepted, as fume Embaifadours, Travellers, Seamen, Souldiers, lantur. cic~r~. banifbed men, &c. So here, the obligation to live under Government lyeth upon the generality of the World, though fome few may be excepted. · 9· 3· Prop. 2. Rulers therefore are Gods officers, placed under him in his Kingdom, as he is the Univerf1l abfolute Soveraign of the World ; And they receive their power from God, who is the only Original of Power. Not only their !lrength from his flrcngth, ~ut their .Authority or Governing pl)wtr, (which is ]u1 regendi.) from his fupream authority; as M1yors and Bayliffs in Corporations receive their power from the King: Ram. 13· I, 2, 3· 1here i1 m pon-·er but of G!id : the powerJ 1hat be are ordained of God. §. 4· Prop.;. This Governing power in gcnere is not an empty name, but in the very infiitution comaineth 1n it thofe things Muerially which arc abfohltely necdfary to the end of Government. §. S• Prop. 4· Yet God hath left that which is commonly called the jpeciftcation of Government, and forne lower parts of the Malltr, and Manner of exercifc, undetermined, as alfo the Individual perfonJ or familiu that 0111l Rule. In thcfe three therefore it is that Corn"munitics interpofc. 1. Whether the foVcraignty Oull be in one or two or ten, or how many, and how divided for their cxercife, God hathnotdererffiined. 2. Nor hath he determined of every pauicular, whether rhc Power fhall ex- Gr~tiruJ: 1111~ tend to this or that or the other thing, or not ? Nor whether it fhall be exercifed thus or thus, by per.fum. Pote/l. !tacding Courts, or rempomy Judges,&<. 3• Nor hath he named the perfonor family that Oull rule. ~~~f9~i~b' quxdam imp·rare non po!fe, nili co~fen.fus Ordinum. 2cceffe~it: fed hi ll<Jn vident ~uib~s in loci$ id juris ell, ibi fummJ~ij~~~i~e~ n~~ effc: penes Rq~;e<, t·d !!Ut penes Ordm~s, aut ccne penes td corpus, quod Rcx & JUm~b confiituunr, ut Bodinus, Suarezius Vidori:a all!que, .1bunde d-:monfitJrunt : Cenum fummum [mperium totum) & aliquid impeure noa polf~, ideo tantum quod alter' vctet au~ -inurccdat, plane funt ~taVS"::t7«· 9· 6. Prop. 5· Though thefc in the confiilution are determined of by expli~itc or implicite con. uaQ: or confenr between the Ruler and the Comm11nity, yet by none of thefe three can the people be truly and properly faid to Give the Ruler his Power of Government. Not by the firjl or laft; for both tho[e do but determine who lhall be the Recipient of that power ; whet~er one or more, and who individually. Not thefecond, for that is but a limiting or bounding or regulating the Governing power, that it be not cxercifcd ro their hurt: The bounding and regulating of their power, is not the Giving them power. The People having the firength cannot be ruled againft th<:ir concord1nt wills: And therefore if they centrad: with their Governours, that they will be Ruled thus and thus or not at all, this is not to Give thlm power. Yet Propriety they have, and there they may be GiutrJ. · So thac this Baundingor Regulating, and Ch11ojing theform, and Per[onJ, and giving of their propriety, is all that they have to do. And the choofing of the Family orperfo~ is not at all a Giving the Power: They are bm jiHe quibm 1101t to that ; They do but open the door to let in the Governour ; They do but name the family or m1n to whom God and not tbey !hall Give.the power, As
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