o or rimer. fay, ifthis be fo, belike then we may breake mens lawes without finne. I nfwcr, that men inbreakinghumane lawes, both may and doefinne ; but yet not limply, becaufe they breake them , but becaufe inbreaking them, theydoe alto breake the law ofGod. Thebreach of a lawmutt be confide- red two waies. Firfl as it is a trefpa fle,hindrance,iniurie,damage; and in this refpea it is committed againft mens lawes fecondly the breach ofa law mull he confideredas it is (inne, and fo it isonelyagainft Gods law, which appointsobedienceto the Magi(trate. The fecondpoint,namely How farceforthmens lawesbindeconfcience, I explaneon this manner. It is all that the lawes ofgoddoe or can doe, to binde confcience (implyand abfolutely. Therefore humane lawes bindnot limply ofthemfclues, but fo farteforth as theyareagreeable toGods word, few for thecommongood , hand withgood order, and hinder not the li- bertie ofconfcience.The necetEtieofthelaw arifeth oftheneceflitieofthe good end thereof.And as the end is good and profitablemoreorlcffe, fo is the law it fclfeneccflarie moreor!elk. Mens laws areliketheir teftimonies, which neither prooue nor dtfprooue of themtclues, but borrowall the flrength which they haueto conftraine,fromthetruth,wifdome, and fide- litieofthem that beare witnes. Hence it followeth that a manmaydoe anythingbrfidehumane latvrand conflitutionswitheu, breach ofconfcience. For ifwe thall omit thedoing ofanylaw, I. without hindranceofthe endeand particular confiderations, for which the lawwas made : 1 I. without offence giuinß,as muchas in vs Beth : I/ I. vvithout contempt ofhim that made the lavve, vve arenot to beaccufedoffinn e. Example. In timeofvvarre, themagiitrateofa cilia commands that noman (hall open the gates: theend is, that the citie and e.+ uerymember thereofmay be in fafetie. Novvc it falls outthat certaine citi- zens,beeingvpon occafionvvithout the citie,arepurfued by theenemie and in danger oftheirliues. Hereupon tome man vvithinvvithout any more a- docopeneth the gare toreskue them. The quettion is,vvhether he haue fin- nedor no. And the truth is, 'nebath not: becaufe he didnot hinder the end oftheiavv, but rather further it; and thatvvithout fcandall to men,orcon- tempt to the magittrate. And this táandseuen by the equineofGods vvord. Godmade a lavv,that thePriefts onely fhould eateof the thevvbread: novvDauid being no prieft, did vponvrgent occafion care ofit vvithout (inne. If this be true in Gods lavv,then it may alto be true in thelavvsof mcn,thatthey may in forne cafes be omittedvvithoutfinne againftGod. Neither mufl this feemeflrange. Foras there it a keepingofa lavv, and a breakingofthe fame; fo there isa middleor meane aEtion betvveene them hyrh,vvhichis,to doea thingbbefide the Inv,anci that vvithoutfinne, Frtt¢rraligx86 Toproceede further, mens lavvsbe eitherGuilt orEcclefiafticall .Ciuill1imíar on a. lavvs are for their íùb(iancedeterminationsofneceffarieand profitablecir men. cumftaaccs,tendingtovphold and maintains the commandements ofthe G z fecond
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=