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Show CImp.26. ofCOMMON-WEALTH. 148 ram: ml! are thofe which have been Lawes from all Eternity ; and are cali . 55419.25, OfCOMMON-WEALTH. mm: and ordinary carriesAnd therefore no man can rnfallrbly ltnow by m, l d not onely Natural], but alfo Mora/l Lawes ; confil‘trng in the MocllVertues as qulice Equity and all habits of the mind that conduce turall reafon, that another has had a fupcrnarurall revelation of Gods will 3 but only abelrefe ; every one (as the figns thereOf {hall 3?. m P ace anid Charity,- of which I have already fpoken in the fourto 6h 'd fifteenth Chapters. _ .. pear greater, or lefler) a firmer, or a weaker belief. But for the feeond, how he can be bound to obey them; it is not "tilt 122: are thofe which have not been from Eternity; but have fo hard. For-ifthe Law declared3 be not againfl the Law of Na: beerifmade, Lawes by the Will of thofe that have had the Soveraign ture (which is undoubtedly Gods Law) and he undertake to obey 7 Aaé'?" Power over Other-s, and are either written, or made known to men, b fome other aroument of the Will of their Le iflator. YA ain of Politive Lawes fome are Humane, éme Divine: And f l-Iguma'ne pofitive lawes, fomc are Diflrt'hntive, fome Penal. Dt- it, he is bound by his otvn act ; bound I fay‘to obey it , but not bound to believe it: for mens belrefe, and interrour cogitations, are not iubjcéltothc commands, but only to the operation of God, ordinary, or extraordinary. Earth of Sufpernaturall Law, is not a ful- 32:5" firihtttive are thofe that determine the Rights of the Subjeéts,de- filling, but only an allenting to the ame; and not a duty that we J daring to every man what it is, by which he acquireth and holdetha exhibite to God,but agrft whrchGod freely grveth to whom he plea- ' riet in lands or goods, anda right or liberty of aélion : and feth; as alfo Unbelrefis nota breach of any of hrs Lawes ; but arr-eye- thgrfe fpehk to all the Subjects. Penal are thofe, which declare, what etron of them all,cxcept the Laws Naturall.Butthls that I fay,wrll be r Penalt {hall be infliéted on thofe that violate the Law; and {peak made yet cleerer,by the Examples, and Tefhmonres concerning this it to the hiiniflers and Oflicers ordained for execution, For though porntrn holy Scripture. The Covenant God made With Abraham , every one ought to be informed ofthe Punilhments ordained before- (in a Supernaturall manner) was thus, That as the Covenant which hand for their tranfgreflion gneverthelelfe the Command is not_ad- 11/0"jiM/f 05/57" WW?" Me Md 77'" 4774 "755441955 "W- Ahm- dreffed to the Delinquent, ( Who cannot be fuppofed will faithfully hm: Seed had not this revelation, nor were yct ‘rn berlng; yéct they ., punilh himfelfe,) but to publique Minifters appointed to fee the Pt- are 3 party [0 the Covenant, and bound r9 oogy wrat dA "th Fl ‘7' nalty executed. And thefe Penal Lawes are for the molt part wrrt< ten together with the Lawes Dillributive -, and are fometimes called mould declare tothem for Gods Law; which I Cy COUl not be, bu‘ 1" V'Cf‘m? 0mm Obedience they owed to their Parents; who (If iii Jud ements. For all Lawes are generall Judgements,or Sentences "my be Sublcato "0 9th" 3‘"th POW?) 35, ["315 m the cafe 0f ,' of I c Lcoiflator 3 as alfo every particular Judgement, is a Law to Aha/mm) have Sover-ar n power overtheir children, and fervants. ‘D M", Pofi- him,whofe cafe is Judged. Divine Pofitive Laws (for Natural} Lawes being Emma", and [lg-amt, where God fart to Ahrahmn, In thee flmll all‘sztzonr of 1;}: mrth he‘hlcfled: For I know then zv/zllt tantrum: thy abhtldren,‘ 472;! Irv: Law Univerfall, are all Divine,) are thofe, which being the Commande- "l '17W{/‘f"f""/"'c '0 "(Pt/13.1"") "f? F L" a 4" 5" 0 ["7" N3 -‘ lam made mentsofGod ( not from allEternit Iron/nefle and fudgement, it IS manrtell, the obedience of his Fa- l-mwnza he \ ' toacertam - people,or y' to certain . - 'perfonsl) y all men, but onely are d e _ clared for fuch, by thofe whom God hath authorifed to declare ‘ mrly, former obligati. who had l 1. no, Revelation, . A depended M 5. on. their I 1 onto obey t rtrr them, But this Authority of man to declare what be thefe PofitiVC Lawes of God, how can it be known -.' God may command a man byafupernaturall way, to deliver Lawes to other men. But becaufe it is of the effence of Law, that he who is to be obliged, be affured of the Authority of him that declareth it, which we cannot naturally God -, the peo le were forbidden to approach on paine of death -, yet were they hound to obey all that Mafes declared to them for ‘ l l, Law. i l l i addrcfl‘Cd to take notice to be from God, How can a man without filperfl/Illlrfl/l It:velation he aflured of the Revelation received 12} the declarer? and how can he he houndto ohey them .3 For the firfl queftion, how aimn can be aflured of the Revelation of another, without a Revelation particularly to himfelfe, it is evidently impoiiible: For though a ma" 1 fee him doe, or from feeing the Extraordinary fanftity of his life, or 1- may be induced to believe fuch Revelation, from the MiraCLCS they from feeing the Extraordinary wifedome, or Extraordinarv felicity or hrs :4 «rl nor univerfall are Marvellous workes :bur that which is marvellous to one, HWY 119! bc {0 to another. Sanétity may be feigned ; and the vifiblc fell" cruesof thisworld,are molt often the work of God by Naturall, Aé‘tions) all whichare marks of God extraordinary favour; yctthey are not allured evidences of fpeciall Revelation. Miraclci boverargn. t ount mauve/er on y went up to Gods Law. Upon what ground, but on this fubmilfron of their own, Spmhthan to:t:,andtve1vi/1hezzrethee; hut let not Godfpmh to ugly/i wed/vet Bywhichtwo places it fuihciently appeareth, that In aCommon-wealth, a fubjeétthat has no certain and aifured Re- velationparticularly to himfelfconcerningthe Will ofGod, is to obey frr fuch, the Command of the Commonwealth: for if men were at liberty, to take for Gods Commandements, their own (firming-and fancies, or the dreams and fancies of private men ; itarr'etwomcn would agree upon what is Gods Commandement ;‘ and yttrn relpeftofthem,everyman would defpife the Comminetrrrents oftlre Common-wealth. Iconclude therefore, that in all thugs not contrary to the Morall Law, (that is to fay, to the Law or Nitrite" all SubjeCts are bound to obey that for divine Law, at hair». dLL‘l‘terd to be {0, by the Lawes of the Common-wealth \\'L.t‘r'r;.lr'o is evidentto any mans reafon; for whatfoever is not, lsurrrft th‘.‘ Lav: ofNature, may be made Law in the name of them L1 2 than 149 |