unreasonableness and impoffibility amongst intelligent spirits, that they never murmured or mutined in their lower ftations against their Superiours. Nay, the good Angels of an inferiour Order durft not revile a Devil of a higher Order. This confideration which I reckon to be most preffing in the discourses of Reason, and obliging next to the neceffity of a Divine Precept, we learn from Saint Jude: [Likewise also these filthy dreamers despise dominion and speak evil of dignities. And yet Michael the Archangel, when contending with the Devil he disputed about the Body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accufation.]

But because our Superiours rule by their example; by their word or law, and by the rod, therefore in proportion there are several degrees and parts of obedience, or several excellencies and degrees towards perfection.

Degrees of Obedience.

1. The first is, the obedience of the outward Work: and this is all that humane Laws of themselves regard; for because man cannot judge the heart, therefore it prescribes nothing to it: the publick end isserved not by good wishes, but by real and actual performances; and if a man obeys against his will, he is not punishable by the Laws.

2. The obedience of the Will: and this is also neceffary in our obedience to humane Laws, not because Man requires it for himself, but because God commands it towards Man, and of it (although Man cannot, yet) God will demand an account. For we are to do it as to the Lord, and not to men; and therefore we must do it willingly. But by this means our obedience in private is secured against secret arts and fubterfuges : and when we can avoid the punishment, yet weshall not decline our duty, but ferve Man for God's fake, that is, chearfully, promptly, vigoroully; for these are the proper parts of willingness and choice.

3. The Understanding must yieldObedience ingeneral, though not in the particular instance; that is, we

must be firmly perswaded of the excellency of the obedience, though we be not bound in all cases to think the particular Law to be most prudent. But in this our rule is plain enough. Our understanding ought to be inquifitive whether the civil constitution agree with our duty to God, but we are bound to enquire no farther: And therefore beyond this, although he who, having no obligation to it, (as Counsellours have) enquires not at all into the wisdom or reasonableness of the Law, be not always the wisest man, yet he is ever the best Subject. For when he hath given up his understanding to his Prince and Prelate, provided that his duty to God be secured by a precedent search, he hath also with the best, and with all the instruments in the world, secured his obedience to Man.

SECT. IL

Of Provision, or that part of Justice which is due from Superiours to Inferiours.

AS God hath imprinted his authority in feveral parts upon several Estates of Men, as Princes, Parents, Spiritual Guides: so he hath also delegated and committed parts of his care and providence unto them, that they may be instrumental in the conveying fuch bleffings which God knows we need, and which he intends should be the effects of Government. For fince God governs all the World as a King, provides for us as a Father, and is the great Guide and Conductor of our Spirits as the Head of the Church, and the great Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls; they who have portions of these dignities, have also their share of the administration: the sum of all which is usually fignified in these two words [Governing] and [Feeding] and is particularly recited in these following Rules.

Duties of Kings and all the Supreme power as Law givers,

1. Princes of the people and all that have Legislative power, must provide useful and good Laws for

the

the defence of propriety, for the encouragement of labour, for the fafeguard of their perfons, for determining controverfies, for reward of noble actions and excellent arts and rare inventions, for promoting trade, and enriching their people.

& adulta

2. In the making Laws Princes must have regard to Omittenda the publick dispositions, to the affections and ditaffe-potiùs præva ctions of the people, and must not introduce a Law vitia, quàm with publick scandal and displeafure; but consider the hoc adfequi publick benefit, and the present capacity of affairs, ut quibus palàm agi fiat and general inclinations of mens minds. For he that tiis impares inforces a Law upon a people against their first and fimus. Tacit, publick apprehenfions, tempts them to disobedience, and makes Laws to become snares and hooks to catch the people, and to enrich the treasury with the spoil and tears and curses of the Commonalty, and to multiply their mutiny and their fin.

3. Princes must provide that the Laws be duly ex ecuted: for a good Law without execution is like an unperformed promise: and therefore they must be fevere exactors of accounts from their Delegates and Ministers of Justice.

4. The severity of Laws must be tempered with Επήκιά difpenfations, pardons, and remiffions, according as ιν ἐπα the case shall alter, and new neceffities be introduced, νόρθωμα or some singular accident shall happen, in which the νόμε ἐλ Law would be unreasonable or intolerable as to that λείπει δια particular. And thus the people with their importu- τὸ καθόλκ nity prevailed against Saul in the case of Jonathan, and Eth. s. c. 10 obtained his pardon for breaking the Law which his Father made, because his necessity forced him to taste honey, and his breaking the Law in that case did promote that service whose promotion was intended by the Law.

6. Princes must not multiply publick Oaths without great, eminent and violent neceffity, left the secucurity of the King become a snare to the People, and they become false when they see themselves suspected, or impatient when they are violently held fast. But the greater and more useful caution is upon things than upon persons: and if security of Kings can be obtained otherwise, it is better that Oaths should be the last refuge, and when nothing else can be sufficient. L'avaritia de 7. Let not the People be tempted with arguments to disobey, by the impofition of great and unneceffary taxes: for that loft to the Son of Solomon the dominion of the ten Tribes of Ifrael.

Re, peste de

Regni.

8. Princes must in a special manner be Guardians of Pupils and Widows, not fuffering their persons to be oppreffed, or their estates imbezilled, or in any tence exposed to the rapine of covetous persons, but be provided for by just Laws and provident Judges, and good Guardians, ever having an ear ready open to their just complaints, and a heart full of pity, and one hand to fupport them, and the other to avenge them.

9. Princes must provide that the Laws may be so administred, that they be truly and really an ease to the People, not an instrument of vexation: and therefore mult be careful that the shortest and most equal ways of trials be appointed, fees moderated, and intricacies and windings as much cut off as may be, lest injured persons be forced to perish under the oppreffion, or under the Law, in the injury, or in the suit. Laws are like Princes, those best and most beloved who are most eafie of access.

10. Places of Judicature ought at no hand to be fold by pious Princes, who remember themselves to Chi compra be Fathers of the People. For they that buy the Ofil magiftrato fice will fell the Act, and they that at any rate will be Judges, will not at any eafie rate do Justice; and their bribery is less punishable, when bribery opened the door by which they entred.

forza è che vendra là

giuftitia.

11. Ancient privileges, favours, customs and acts of grace indulged by former Kings to their People,

must not without high reason and great neceffities be revoked by their successours, nor forfeitures be exacted violently, or penal Laws urged rigoroufly nor in light cales, nor Laws be multiplied without great need, nor vicious perfons, which are publickly and deservedly hated, be kept in defiance of popular defires, nor any thing that may unneceflarily make the yoke heavy, and the affection light, that may encrease murmurs, and lessen charity; always remembring that the interest of the Prince and the People is so intolded in a mutual embrace, that they cannot be untwisted without pulling a limb off, or dissolving the bands and conjunction of the whole body.

confcientiam

12. All Princes must esteem themselves as much Nulla lex (ci bound by their word, by their grants, and by their vilis) fibi foli promises as the meanest of their Subjects are by the juftitiæ fuæ restraint and penalty of Laws: and though they are debet, fed superiour to the people, yet they are not fuperiour to eis à quibus their own voluntary conceffions and ingagements, expectat. Ter their promises and oaths, when once they are paffed tul. Apolog. from them.

The Duty of Superiours as they are Judges.

1. Princes in Judgment and their delegate Judges must judge the cautes of all persons uprightly and impartially, without any personal confideration of the power of the mighty, or the bribe of the rich, or the needs of the poor. For although the poor must fare no worse for his poverty, yet in justice he must fare no better for it: And although the rich must be no more regarded, yet he must not be less. And to this purpose the Tutor of Cyrus instructed him, when in a controverfie, where a great Boy would have taken a large Coat from a little Boy, because his own was too little for him, and the other's was too big, he adjudged the great Coat to the great Boy: his Tutor answered, Sir, If you were made a Judge of decency or fitness, you had judged well

obsequium