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Show 198 , , . be free. OfCOMMON-WL' AL TH. pm 2; Chaymx And according to this proper, and generally received meaning fl-rengll? Met/11'" lye gable to do, 1; not blm'rm' t0 doe tub/it be bra: 4 xvi/bro. Butwhenthe words Free, and Liberty, are applyed to any W'J'f‘ " " '0 ofthe word, A FR E E-MAN, r; be, that ii; tbofe tbingr, wbicb by bit C/MPJI. 1e9 faftned at one end, to the lips of that Man, or Aliembly, to whom they have given the Soveraigne Power, and at the other end to their own Ears. Theie Bonds in their own nature but weak, may neverthelelie be made to hold, by the danger, though not by the difficulty or breaking them. In i'elation tothefe Bonds only it is, that I am to {peak now, of Libertr of the world, wherein there be Rules enough {ct down, for the regu» 2:52;?" m lating ofall the actions, and words of men, (as being a thing in)- from 63w- Giver, that was not bound by any law, or Covenant to give it. So when we [peak Freely, it is not the Liberty of voice, or pronunciati- pofiiblm) it followeth Ineceffarily, that in all kinds of actions , mm". by the laws pixetermitted, men have the Liberty , of dorng the Libertyo'r'Subjee'le. For {ceing there is no Common-wealth in S'fl'f/fffi . on, but of the man, whom no law hath obliged to {peak otherwife what their own realbns ihall fuggelt, for the molt profitable to then he did. themielves . LaItly, from the ufe of the word Free-will, no Liber- of the man, which confifteth in this, that he finds no Itop, in doing what he has the will, defire, or inclination to doe. Feare, and Liberty are confiflent; as when a man throweth his Liberty m- goods into the Sea forfeare the {hip {hould fink, he doth it neverJ11?"thelefl‘every willingly, and may refufe to doe it if he will: his therefore the action, or one that wasfree : lo a man fometi'mesv pays his debt, only for feare of Imprifonment, which becaufe .no body hindred him from detaining, was the action of a man at liberty. And generally all actions which men doe in Common-wealths, .for fem of the law,are actions, which the doers had liberty to omit. liberty and Libertyfind Neceflzry are Confifient: As in the water, that hath yum/7;" not only liberty,but a necejfi'ty of defcending by the Channel; {0 (minim, QfCOMMON-WEALTH. thing but Baa'ies, they are abuied; for that which is not fubject to Motion, is not fubject to Impediment: And therefore, when 'tis {aid (forexample) The way is Free, no Liberty of the way is {ignifled, but ofthoie that walkin it without flop. And when we fay a Guift is Free, there is not meant any Liberty of the Guift, but of the ty can be inferred of the will, defire, or inclination, but the Liberty F51": err/d Putz, likewife in the Actions which men voluntarily doe : which , becauie they proceed from their will, proceed from liberty; and yet, becaufe every act of mans will , and every defire , and inclination proceedeth from fome caufe , and that from another caufe, inacontinuallchaine, (whofe firft link is in the hand ofGod thc firft of all caufes,) proceed from neeeflity. So that to him that could fee the connexion ofthofe caufes, the neeeflQ'ty of all mens voluntary actions, would appeare manifeIt. And therefore God, that feeth and difpofeth all things, feeth alfo that the libert of man in doin what he will, is accompanied with the neeeflity 0 doing that which God will,& no more,nor leHeFor though men may do many things, which God does not command, nor is therefore Author of them; yet they can have no paflion, not appetite to any thing, of whiCh appetite Gods will is not the caufe. And did not his will allure thé neeeflity of mans will, and confequently ofall that on mans will dc" pendeth, the liberty of men would be a contradiction, and impediment to the omnipotence and liberty of God. And this {hall {iii- ficcs (as to the mattffl‘ in hand) of that naturall liberty, which only is properly called beberty. A,.,Uijt.,~l,y, Bums men, for the atteyning of peace, and confervation of themh»9,,d_,1(,,. Ca, felves thereby, have made an Artificiall Man, which we call a Com‘ ""‘mr' ' an‘wcalths 10311-9 have they made Artificiall Chains, called Ci‘ '1'!" MW!) winch they tlietnlelves, by mutuall covenants, have faflncd For if wee take Liberty in the proper fenfe, for , corporall Liberty 5 that is to fay, freedome fromc rains, and prifon, it were very abfiird for men to clamor as they doe, for the Liberty they 1b manifeftly enjoy. Againe, if we take Liberty, for an exemption from Lawes,it is no lefle abfurd,for men to demand as they doe, that Liberty, by which all other men may be malters of their lives. And yet as abfurd as it is, this is it they demand, not knowing that the Lawes are of no power to protect them, without 21 Sword in the hands of a man, or men, to caufe thoie laws to be put in execution. The Liberty of a Subjectt, lyeth therefore only in thole things, which in regulating their actions, the Soveraign hath praetermitted: fuch as is the Libertv to buv,and ltll,and otherwife contract with one another; to chooie their own aboad,their own diet,their own trade of lite,and int‘titute their children as they themfelves think fit-,8: the like, Liberty of Nevertheleile we are not to underliand, that by fuch Liberty, tt'lc'Sebtecl the Soveraign Power oflife, and death, is either abolilhed, or li- "fig/bf": mited. For it has been already i'liewn, that nothing the Soveraign 71,;th im" Repreientiuive can doe to a Subject, on what pretence foever, can 57' gal/MP5}: properly be called Injufiice,0r Injury-7 becaule every Subject is mung," Authorot‘eveiy ac": the Soveraign doth; fo that he never wanteth Right to any thin , otherwiie,‘t.han as he himfelf is the Subject of God,andboundt with to oblerve the laws ofNature. And therefore it may, and doth otyten happen in Common-wealths, that a Sub- ject may be 'mt to death, bythe command of the Soveraign Power ; and yet neither doe the other wrong: As when yieptba caufed his dau liter to be facrificedzln which, and the like cafes, he that f0 dietii, had Liberty to doe the action, for which he is nevertheleiie, without Injury put to death. And the fame holdeth alfo in a So«veraign Prince, that putteth to death an Innocent Subject. For though the action be againft the law of Nature, as being contrary to Equitie,(as was the killino of uriab, by David-J yet it was not an liijurie tollriizb , but to Go . Not to until), becaufe the right to doe that he pleafed, was given him by uriabhiml‘elf: And yet to God, beanie Davidwas God; SubjeCt, and prohibited all Iniquitie by If r ..~.w of Nature. Which diltinction, Dwizl himi‘elf, when he re- prt. ed the fact,evidently confirmed, laying, Ta (bee Ml} have I yi,,,;;.l. lnthe famemanner, the people of Atbem', when they bfimié ) 2 ie |