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Show [ xii ] [ xiii ] " For no man can fay, _/fe $639,. ‘fle jit- unde‘rfiand in this place of the Baron's " 5w; {0 I will, and lo 1 command; idea of Law; for he afligns no other " unlefs, " caufe why obedience is paid to it, but " Stet pro Ratione 05/252223: ." " His Will is his Rea/oil." " We obey Laws, therefore," (fays he,) " not principally upon account of the ," the power of -t/oe Extra-ion" whereas God's Laws have many other apparent tank: of obligation, of which I have alteady mentioned the due fenfe we na- " matter of them, but upon account of turally entertain of the infinite l/l/ifloin " tlie Legi/lator's [Will (9)." and Truth (as well as the Power) of the Thus the learned Civilian feems to confider tlJe Will and Plea/tire of a Sovereign as the life and {pirit of Laws; which notion is highly ztni'ea/onalile in Divine Author, who is to far from being every talc but one, "viz. when we are {penning of he Laws of that Sovereign alone, whole l'fill is the fountain of [Sea/on, and vhofe Plea/litre (by our OWn natural Rea/Ln we are convinced) is infinite gooelne/r, jziflliee, and mercy, to- an Exafior of Laws, that the revelation of his will for the good government of mankind has generally been addreflEd to the Senfes and Reafin of Men, that their Covenant with God might be founded on free Confint, the highefl: and mof't obligatory Caufe of Obedience. Now, as the Laws of God are thus tendered to us under the equitable form wardsallthole towhom he has {ignilied his commands; became we cannot lentti‘ate the idea of ini'allibie Rea/in, ll/‘zjalcm, and eternal fife/lieu, from any command of divine authority. And yet this application if the Baron's of a reciprocal Covenant, thereby binding even himfelf (the fupreme Lord and doétrine, even to the flipreme Law, is not conformable throughout to what! underliand Governors to be reftrained and limited by equitable Covenants of mutual olligation between them and their Sub- Creator of all things) to us, his poor mortal fubjeé‘ts, under conditional Promi/e: which cannot fail on his part! how much more ought all mere world/y jeé'tS, tince their equality in nature givles (9) Book I. chap.6. §. 1, tlfi |
