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Show of A11", Chap-14.. {hould depart with his right 5 In this cafe of Gift, I Merit not that the giver fliould part with his right 5 but that when he has parted With it, it fliould be mine, ratherthan anothers. And this I think to be the meaning of that dii‘tinétion of the Schooles, between Marita»: congnu", and Meritm candigni. For God Almighty, havmg promifed Paradife to thofe men (hoodwinkt with carnall defires,) that can walk through this world according to the Precepts, and Limits prefcribed by him-5 they fay, he that {ball fo walk, {hall Merit Paradife Ex rim- Of MJ N. ‘ Clo/4314.. ith ut mutuall acce ration t me is no ovenant. . _ - fuch as God fpcaketh to, either by Revelation fupernaruralhor by his 2.2.4512:0." Lieutenants that govern under him, and in his Name : For otherwrfe minim. we know not whether our Covenants be accepted, or not. And therefore they that Vow any thing contrary to' any law of Nature, Vow in vain 5 as being a thing unjufl: to pay fuch VOW. And If 1F be a thing teoufnefl'e. or any Other power in himfiflfe, ut by the Free Grace of God onely ; they fay, no man can Merit Paradife ex :ofldigno. This that binds them. a condition of Warre of ever man againlt every man,) upon any reafonable fufpition, it is Voy : But if there be a common Power fer over them both, with right and force fufiicient to compell performance 5 it is not Voyd. For he performeth firfl, has no afiurance the other will performe after that 5 becaufe the bonds of words are too weak to bridle mens a from, without the fe . dition of meer Nature rice, anger, and Other Paf- e Power 5 which in the cone cquall, and judges of the [luflneife oftheir own fears,cannot pollibly Ce which perlforlr‘rietlh firhfl, does be fuppofedAnd therforc but betray hlmfclfe to his enemy - ontrar to t e i t e can never aband ' ‘ ' 7 and mezns of living. ( on )Of defending his hfc' Bait in a Civill eflate, where there is a Power fet ' lbofle thgf woulddfothelrwife violate their faith, that fegfi: ti: 3:13;: rea ona e 5 an or t iat caufe, he which ' -- form firfi, is obliged fo to do. by the Covenant ls to PC! The caufe of feare, Which maketh fuch a Covenant inv be alwayes fomething arifin g after the Covenant made 5 asalid, mufl met, or other figne of the [on]: new Will not to performe : elfe it cannot mil the Covenant v0y e M!" M "Y" mliiiingl, ought notd.For that which could not hinder a man from io‘: to be adm itt ed as a hindrance of performin 8.}! km"- , t t iat tiansf g. P erreth any . A it, as farre as lyeth in his Right, transferreth the Means ofe ‘ ' 0 rI/i Rig/1 to njoyet- ma t/y: .Ut‘JnJ. and is und ' ‘ 3 tha.t give to a .man 'the Ri . g htof government in deifiood to give hi Soveraignty, are un , of lev 111° e155 , m_ the right ' mony to mai . M 0m ntai' n Souldi'- 1.31:3? gpomnng M, Oiflrates fyort e adminiflration of Itiitice. "d": will) lflmdc' OOW‘DanlS W1 bl‘mt BCQIRS) is Impo fliblc . becaufe Bufh. not Wdc 11'!{, 0m (peecli, they underflan d not, nor dccept of any Tranilation . w T: make Covenaii: with Cod, is impoflible, but by Mediation of N2? mil-fl, ,; commanded by the Law ofNature, it is not the Vow, but the Law do not agree upon the fignification of their own termes of longer than it ferves their turn 5 Iwill not aflirme a thing of Art, their meaning : onely this I fay 5 when a gift is given inde nitely, as a prize to be contended for, he that winneth Meriteth, and may claime the Prize as Due. (oven/mt: if If a Covenantbemade, wherein neither animal! prefently, bur truit one another; in the of the parties performe condition of meet Nature, 75/75/12?!" ( which is 69 tranflation of Right; nor canI tranflateéiny Right to another : and grxa. But becaufe no man can demand a ti ht to it, by his own Righ- I fay, I think is the meanino of that dii'tinétion 5 but becaufe Difp - ters W' Part I. I _ _ , The matter, 01- fubjetft of aCovenant, lS alwayes fomething that N" CZ"; falleth under deliberation 5 ( For to Covenant, is an atft of the Will 5' 2:235[:12:2 that is to fay an act, and the lait act, of deliberation 5) and is .there- Pam". I fore alwa es underflood to be fomething to come 5 and which is judged pofli le for him that Covenanteth, to performe. - And‘therefore, to promife that which is known to be Impoflible, is no Covenant. But ifthat prove impoflible afterwards, which before was thought poflible,‘the Covenant is valid, and bindeth,(though not to the thing it felfe,) yet to the value 5 or, ifthat alfo be impofiible, to the unfeigned endeavour of performing as much as is poifible: for to more no man can be obliged. . Men are freed of their Covenants two wayes 5 by Performing 5 or Caveman by being Forgiven. For Performance, is the naturall end of ob- bowie/Id: ligation5and Forgiveneife,the refiitution of liberty; as being a re- ""1 ' transferring of that Right, in which the obligation confrited. Covenants entred into by fear, in the condition ofmeer Nature, (WWW! are obligatory. For example, if I Covenant to pay a ranfome, or ""0""! 57 fervice for my life, to an enemy -, I am bound by it. For it is a Con- 52:: ‘W W" (raft, wherein one receiveth the benefit of life; the other is to receive mony, or fervice for it -, and confequently, where no other Law (as ' in the condition, of meer Nature) forbiddeth the performance, the Covenant is valid. Therefore Prifoners of warre, if truited with the payment of their Ranfome,are obligedto ay it : And if awea- kei' Prince, make a difadvantageous eace wit 1 a Itronger, for feare 5 he is bound to keep it -, unlefle (as hat 1 been fayd before ) there arifeth fome new) and juit caufe of feare, to renew the war.And even in Coniinon-wealths, if I be forced to redeem my felfe from a Theefe by promiiing him mony, I am bound to pay it, till the Civill Law difcharge me. For whatfoever I may lawfully do without Obligati- on) the fame I may lawfully C0venant to do through feai'e': arid what I lawfully Covenant, I cannot lawfully break. - A former Covenant, makes voyd a later. For a man that hath pafThe firmer fed away his Right to one man to day, hath it not to paife to morrow C'Wmmw to another2and therefore the later promife paifeth no Right, but is ZZEHZTélthr {11111. A Covenant ~ not to defend my felfe from force, by force, is al- A mm (a"llyCS voyd. Fort as I have lliewed before ) no man can transierre, mam mm . . Hamil: 01' lay'don'n his it ight to fave himfelie from Death, Wounds, and defend him- Impriionmentfithe‘ avoydingwhereorti‘ is the onely End of laying #413" 1'01"! 2' downe |