Shepard - Houston-Packer Collection BV4500 .S43 1657

fpr a time ofLiberty. was :Mugs fpirit herein, JJ1J. 19. 49, 5o. 3. If laws be only ill appearance and pretence for pubes. lick good; and not really, they bind not ; none mui.dcr evill, ,"much lcffe make a law ofir, for publick good.. No thingMore ùfuall than to make civill lawes, and orders, .crafling Gods la'w, and to pretend publick good ; which ever prove,the publick pens and plagues, and cankers of that place, as Jeroboams coMmand for kdeligion. Some things are forbidden plainly, they make not for pub- lick good, but hurt, the flaws of Omri. .Other things are indifferent in their nature, as Twine to god abroad, or to be flint up; but inconvenient in their ufe and hart full and fcandalous, and that really to the general!. They are not for publick good , whatever is pretended. Somethings are plainly commanded, theyare for the pub- lick good circuit antiated ; foaie,things are indit crent ìn their nature, but convenient and comfortable in their ufe, thofe are indeed acclding to God. And Bich things may be difcerned, they are fo obvious andfenfiv ble, offuel] neceflity and filch profit, when duly confider- ed by perfons not blinded with their, privaté iaa- terefis. 4. Hence things indifferent, which may as well be left undone as done, and fo public.k good no way advan- ced, are not of God that any fhould refit-air' them : }tor sate liberty which Chrift hath purchafed byhis blood, and which Gads lawgives ; no lawof man can abo?lith, or take away. It's the cryof the claw-backs of Princes, that they have power in things indifferent, i e. inch things which make as much for publickgood, not to ufe, as ufe;rhe truth is,he hash leaf' power here; becaufe they ire idle and Idol- lawes, no hurt, nor is there good in them And hence, fame ofthe mar rigid Schoolnien maintainInch lawes bind not confcience : we are not to feek oifr privateonly; nowall human lawes are helps to leekpiiblick. 5. That lawes made for and according to God for pub- lick good, ifthey do not deIlroy fame mens particular; Only for fome time pinch and preffe hard upon his parti- cular good; or their particular good, men are bound in confcience here to fubmit. True, 1. ` If it were, poffi- ble, all lawes for publick good, fhould hurt no particular man , and Townfnien , if they can ; fhould help thofe that are hurt , becaufe no lawes, but ufnally x S; .. J`^.-.-ri,..-^: '«~,.F~,F` _V__.

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