Duty to li\Jtlers. Dird1. 36. . 9· .68. DircC:l:. 36. Yet i1 1nt aY to be obeyed that .if evil b~t by a.ccident , nor all tti be difobe)td tbat u fo: but tbe accidentJ mull be compared : and if the obedunct wtU d!J mflrt good tban barm, we mujt obey : if it rvi/i cvidouly do more harm th.mgood, we mujf not do it. MoH of rhe tins· in the It wa~ or.e of world, are (.VJI by accident only, and not in the timple act denuded of its accidents, circumlhnct's or 1 h~ . R->~l~n conf{quenrs. You m:ay nor fell poyfon to him rhat you know would puyfon himfelf with ir, though ~~-~i~·c0:rJ.~;,!~s, to fdl poyfon of ir fdf be lawful. Though it bt: lawful limply ro lend a Sword, yet not eo a J 1fiJ imf!.·ril T~ayror that y('u know would kill the King ·with it, no nor to one that would kill his Fathtr, his f~nto, iif(tu" n~1ghbour ?r him{df: A_command would not cx~ufc fuch an act fro~ fin.. He was ll1in by Da– rms m~Jt~c rnd tlut kJI!ed Saut at IllS own command, and 1f he had but lent h1m h1s Sword to do ic, it had ;i~t~(!n\r:r~~~t~. ~rtn· his fin. Y~r .fume evil trccidextJ maybe weighed down by greater evils which would evidently to!low upnn_tht: 1t>t doi1zg ot th~ thing commanded. Direli. 37· §. 69. D1rcd. 37· In the qucjiion rAuthcr Humane L.1w1bind Con{cien_ct, the doubt i.r not of tbat n,,_ tuit aJ ''' b.r:Jt lot.·cjfuy iHfl/ilcnce upo11 _y.mr pralJice. .For ail agree thut tbty bind the fub1e[f to abcdi– Cifc.:, and thut GodJ Lo~1v bi,.dcrb m to obey tbem. And if Gods Law bind us to obey mans Law, and ~o eo dih b(y them be ma£eriaHy a fin againlt Gods Law, chis is as much as is needful ro rclr·lvc you 111 refp::d ol pratlice : No doubt mans Law h:;uh no primicive obliging power at all, but aD, rivativc from God ar.d under him: And what is it 10 bind the Confcicnce ( an impr. per Speech ) but to ~ind the plrfon to judge it his duty ( co11{cire) and fo to doit: And no doubt bm he ~ bound' 10 JUdge it his dut y, that is, iJOrr,cdJatdy by Humane L'lw,_and remotdy by Divin( Law, and fo the _contrlry to be a fin prcximauly againfi man, and ultim .. mly againfl God. This is pUin, and the n li 1s bur logomJchy. • L i·c{i. 38. §. 70· Du..:Cl. 38 1he queftion Wmu:b/}(irder, wbetlur the viol.Jtion of every H;~mane Pen.:/ Law be a fi;s "'g.Jinjl God, tb.ugb a man {ubmit to the pvulty l ( And the ddfrt of t.Vc.:ry {in is dead1) Ed. PJl. !. 8. M_r. Ricb. Ho AerJ lall Book llnhappily ended befOre he gave us the full reafon of his j~tdgement in P· Hi· thiS c<~.fe, there bLing his tall words, [ H wPbtit, too rigorau.r it were, tiJ.J.t the brtacb of every Hum.me L;n', ftJould be a deadly ji11 : A mean there H borvern tb{e extremitie.r , if fa be we c.Jn find it out,___. J AmrjiUJ hath diligently difcufi ir, and mmy Q[hers. The reafon for the affirmative is, bec.r.ufe God blndLth us f0 obey all the lawful commands of our Governours: And fut1ning thepc~ nalt y is nor obr)!ing, the pw.;lt)! being not the primuy intentionof the Law-giver, but rhc Duty; and the penalty only to ellforce the duty: And though the fullering of it fatistie man, ir fatisticth not God, whofe L1w we break by difobcying. Thole that arc for the N'gativc, fay, that God binding us but eo obey the Magif\ratc, and his Law binding but a~tt ad obrd;entiam, attt ad prenam, I fitljiU hit wiO if I either do or fuffrr: If I obey not, I pkafe hjm by fatisfying for my difobedi– ence: And it is none of his will, that my choollng the penalty fhould be my fin or damnation. To this it is r<plyed, that the Law bindeth adpren'm but on fuppofition of difobedience: And that dif– obcdicnce is (orbidden ofGod: And the penalty farisficth not God, though it fatisfic man. The other rejoyn, that it fJt!sficth 6-od, in that it fatiS'ticth man:, bccaufe Gods Law is bur eo give foice to mans, according to rhc: Jlature of ir. If this hold, then n01 difobedience at all is a ~n in him thar iutfercrh tbe pcmlty. ln fo hard a cafe, becaufe moic difl:indion is neceffary to the expli~ n feC..:Jn.l c_ation, tllan mon Readers are? willi~g to b~ troubled_with, l {hall ~0\V give you buc r?is briH dl_ci~ ~ouolm this ~1on; T here are Come penalttes_which fultil theMag1flrates own WJII as much as obed1ence, whtch cafe 0 ii fu!lier mdeed h"ve more of the nature of a Commutation, than of Penalty : ( As he rlur wa(cherh not or opened after- mmdeth not the High-wayes, (hall pay f0 much to hire anot·hcr to do it : He that fhootc.:ch 'not fo ward. oft in a year, fhall pay fo much: He tlur eateth flcfi, in Lent, fl1all pay fo much to the poor: Herhat repaireth nOt his H:.dges flull p;:ty fo much ): ar.d [o in mofi amerccmencs, and divers Penal Laws ; in which we have rea{on to JUdge, that the penalty f.uisticth che Law-givlr fully, and that ht:kav~ cth it ro our choice. In thtfc ccfes 1 think we need not aftlid Ollr fdves with the con[cicncc or fear of linning againfl: God. But there are other Pcllll Laws in which the penahy is not dtfired for it felf, and is fl!ppofcd robe but an imp::rftd: f.uistad:ion to the Law -givers will, and rhat he doeh not frcc:ly leave us to our choic~, but had rather we obeye_d than fuffered; only he impofeth no greater a penalty, either bccaufe there is no greJtcr in his power, or lOme inconvenience prohibiteth: In this cafe I !hould fear my difobedience were a lin, though I fulfercd the penalty. ( Stiil fuppofing it an aCt chat he had Power to command me.) ~· 7 t. Direct. 59· T•k.! bud of the perniciom drfig>t of tbo[e :Atbeijli'.!'l Politiciaut that wouldm•/;! Vi tell. 3 9 • the world believe, tbt aU that is cxceUent among mm , U at em»ity With Mon:~rchy, yea, a;zd Go– vernmeJtt it [elf: And taJtt heed QU tbt other fide~ tb;t the m jt excellent tbing.r be not turmd ag.Ji.Jtjl: it by abufi. Here1 have two dangers to advertife you to beware: The firfi is of fome Machiavellian pernicious principles; and the fc:cond offomc enoneous unchrillian practices. 9. 72. I. For the fidl, there are two forts of Atheifiical Politicians guilty of them. The firfi fort -are {omc AtheiHical flatterers, that to engage Monarchs againfl: all that js good, would make them Le– lieve thar all that is good is again~ them and their interefi. By which means, while cheir dcfign is to ileal the help of Princes to cafl: out all that is good from the world, they Jre mofi pernicioUs un– dermincrsot Monarchy it felf. t·or what rea~ier way eo fet all the world again(\ it, than to make thfm bditvc that it Handeth at enmity fO all that is good. T hefc fccrct enemies would [et up a Le· viarhan to be the butt of common enmity and oppofition. The other fort are the p10fdfed enemies of Monarchy, who in their zeal for Popular Govern– ment,
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