,andanholy life. ly inopinion. Weufe to fay, Nece¡jatie hash no law : creatures or aftions in which Neceffitie beareth Tway, are without Law. Lionsare not forbidden to prey, birds to fly, fifties to fvvimme, or any brute creatures to do according to their kinds, becaufe their a&ions are naturali and neceffary : they cannot upon any admonitiondo otherwife. Among creatures indued with reafon and liberty Laws are given tonone but fuch as can ufe their principles ofrefon and freedome:Fools, mad men, and children are fubjeet to no law, becaufe they have no libertie. To men that can ufe their libertie Laws are not given neither but in thofe aftions which are volunta. ry : No man is forbidden to be hungry, thinly, weary, fleepy, to weep, to laugh, to love or to hate ; becaufe thefe aftions and affe&ions arenaturali and neceffary : the will maygovern them, but it cannot fuppreffe them. And fo if To deal juIlly, To exercife charitie, &c. with their contra- ries, be abfolurely and antecedently neceffary too, whether this neceffitie flow from a principle within, or a Mover without, we are as lavvleffe in thefeas in the other. Now ifNeceffitie have no law, then actions in themfelves evil, if under the dominion of abfolute neceflitie, are tranfgrefli- onsofno law, and confequently no finnes. For Sinne ra a tranfgreffen of the law, i. John 3.4. ThisthatI fay, bathbeen Paid long ago. For Juflin Mar- tyr (peaking againít the Deftiny, bath thefewords, h if it be by dellinie (that is, by abfolute neceffitie ; for that the Fathers do generally call by thename of v (iany;) that men aregood or bad, they are indeed neither good nor bad. A fpeech like to thishe hach a little after ; I It would teem, if this be fo, that virtue and vice are nothing, but things are judged to begood or evil by opinion onely : which, as good reafon teacheth, is very great injuftice and impietie. And furely well might he fay fo : For towhat purpofewas the Son ofGod made man, and being man,made a facrifice of finne? why was theminiffery of theword and facraments ordained ? to what end are heaven and hell propounded ? why are ex- hortations, diffvvafions, or any other means to hinder men from finne applyed, if finnebe nothing but a mere opinion ?. Chrift, the Chritlian faith, the ward and facraments, and dvhatfoever according to the Scriptures bath been done for the applying of the pardon for finne, are all but mere fables, nayvery impoflures, if finnebe nothing. And by confequence it is no matter at all whether men be Chrittians, Jews, Tw, ks, I89 h_7uJf. Mart. ,Apo& 2. a little beyond the middle, Si fato fierce ut eat aut improbusau* bonus, nec alii guidon probi cillena, nec alii mali. i Videretur Verum effe, nihil Cile virtutem nee vitium, fed opinione folùmbona. &mala judi- cari: quz,ut vera ratio docet, ea maxima im- pietas & inj utlitia.
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