declared out of the Holy Scriptures as matter of Faith but the Belief of those Fundamental Articles before set forth neverthelesse there are required other things as matter of obedience For as it is not enough in Temporal Kingdoms to avoid the punishment which Kings may inflict to acknowledge the Right and Title of the King without Obedience also to his Laws So also it is not enough to acknowledge our Saviour Christ to be the King of Heaven in which consisteth Christian Faith unless also we endeavour to obey his Lawes which are the Lawes of the Kingdome of Heaven in which consisteth Christian Obedience And forasmuch as the Laws of the Kingdom of Heaven are the Laws of Nature as hath been shewed Part. 1. Chap. 5. not only Faith but also the Observation of the Law of Nature which is that for which a man is called Just or Righteous in that sense in which Justice is taken not for the Absence of Guilt but for the Endeavor and constant Will to do that which is Just not only Faith but this Justice which also from the effect thereof is called Repentance and sometimes Works is necessary to salvation So that Faith and Justice do both concur thereto and in the several acceptation of this word Justification are properly said both of them to justifie and the want of either of them is properly said to condemn For not only he that resisteth a King upon doubt of his Titlâ— but also he that doth it upon the inordinatenesse of his Passions deserveth punishment And when Faith and Works are separated not only the Faith is called Dead without Works but also Works are called Dead Works without Faith And therefore S. James Chap. 2.17 saith Even so the Faith if it have no works is dead in it self and vers. 26. For as the Body without the Spirit is dead even so Faith without works is dead And S. Paul Heb. 6.1 calleth Works without Faith Dead Works where he saith Not laying again the Foundation of Repentance from Dead Works And by these Dead Works is understood not the Obedience and Justice of the inward Man but the opus operatum or external Action proceeding from fear of punishment or from vain glory and desire to be honoured of men and these may be separated from Faith and conduce no way to a Mans Justification And for that cause S. Paul Rom. 4. excludeth the Righteousness of the Law from having part in the Justification of a sinner For by the Law of Moses which is applyed to mens Actions and requireth the Absence of Guilt all men living are liable to Damnation and therefore no man is iustified by Works but by Faith only But if Workes be taken for the endeavour to doe them that is if the Will be taken for the Deed or Internal for External Righteousness then doe works contribute to Salvation And then taketh place that of S. James Chap. 2.24 Ye see then how that of works a man is iustisted and not of faith only And both of these are ioyned to salvation as in S. Mark 1.5 Repent and believe the Gospel And Luk. 18.18 when a certain Ruler asked our Saviour what he ought to doe to inherit eternal life he propounded to him the keeping of the Commandements which when the Ruler said he had kept he propounded to him the Faith Sell all that thou hast and fellow me And Joh. 3.36 He that beleeveth in the Son hath everlasting life And He that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life Where he manifestly ioyneth Obedience and Faith together And Rom 1.17 The Just shall live by Faith not every one but the Just For also the Devils beleeve and tremble But though both Faith and Justice meaning still by Justice not absence of Guilt but the Good Intentions of the Mind which is called Righteousness by God that taketh the Will for the Deed be both of them said to iustifie yet are their Parts in the Act of Justification to be distinguished For Justice is said to iustifie not because it absolveth but because it denominates him Just and setteth him in an estate or capacity of salvation whensoever he shal have Faith But faith is said to justifie that is to absolve because by it a iust man is absolved of and forgiven his uniust Actions And thus are reconciled the places of S. Paul and S. James that Faith only iustifieth and A man is iustified by Faith onely and shewed how Faith and Repentance must concur to salvation 11. These things considered it will easily appear That under the Soveraign power of a Christian Common VVealth there is no Danger of Damnation from simple Obedience to Humane Lawes for in that the Soveraign alloweth Christianity no man is compelled to renounce that Faith which is enough for his Salvation that is to say the Fundamental Points And for other Points seeing they are not necesâ—ary to salvation if we conform our Actions to the Lawes we do not only what we are allowed but also what we are commanded by the Law of Nature which is the morall Law taught by our Saviour Himself And it is part of that Obedience which must concur to our Salvation 12. And though it be true whatsoever a man doth against his Conscience is sin yet the Obedience in these Cases is neither sin nor against the Conscience For the Conscience being nothing else but a Mans setled judgement and Opinion when he hath once transferred his Right of Judging to another that which shall be commanded is no lesse his Judgement then the Judgement of that other So that in Obedience to Lawes a man doth still according to his owne Conscience but not his private Conscience And whatsoever is done contrary to private Conscience is then a Sin when the Lawes have left him to his own liberty and never else And then whatsoever a man doth not only believing it is ill done but doubting whether it be ill or not is done ill in case he may lawfully omit the doing 13. And as it hath been proved that a man must submit his Opinions in matter of Controversie to the Authority of the Common Wealth so also is the same confest by the practice of every one of them that otherwise deny it For who is there differing in Opinion from another and thinking himself to be in the right and the other in the wrong that would not think it reasonable if he be of the same Opinion that the whole State alloweth that the other should submit his opinion also thereunto or that would not be content if not that one or a few men yet all the Divines of a whole Nation or at least an Assembly of all those he liketh should have the Power to determine all the Controversies of Religion or who is there that would not bee content to submit his Opinions either to the Pope or to a Genenerall Councel or to a Provincial Councel or to a Presbyterie of his owne Nation And yet in all these Cases hee submitteth
also all such as be evidently inferred from thence as Belief in God the Father Joh. 12.44 He that beleveth in me believeth not in me but in him that sent me 1 Joh. 2.23 He that denyeth the Son hath not the Father Belief in God the Holy Ghost of whom Christ saith Joh. 14.26 But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name And Joh. 15.16 But when the comforter shall come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth Beleife of the scriptures by which we beleeve those points and of the immortality of the Soul without which we cannot beleeve that he is a Saviour 7. And as these are the fundamentall points of faith necessary to salvation so also are they only necessary as matter of faith â—nd also essential to the calling of a christian as may appear by many evident places of Holy Scripture Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them you think to have eteral life and they are they which testifie of me Now forasmuch as by the Scripture is meant there the Old Testament the New being then not written the beleife of that which was written concerning our Saviour in the old Testament was sufficient beleife for the obtaining of Eternal Life but in the old Testament there is nothing revealed concerning Christ but that he is the Messiah and such things as belong to the Fundamentall Points thereupon depending And therefore those fundamental Points are sufficient to salvation as of Faith And Joh. 6.28.29 Then sayd they unto him what shall we do that we might work the works of God Jesus answered and said unto them this is the work of God that ye beleeve in him whom he hath sent So that the Point to be beleived is That Jesus Christ came forth from God and he which believeth it worketh the works of God Joh. 11.26.27 Whosoever liveth and beleiveth in me shall never dye Beleevest thou this She sayd unto him yea Lord I beleeve that thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the World Hence followeth He that beleiveth this shall never dye Joh. 20.31 But these things are wriâ—ten that ye might beleeve that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that in beleiving ye might have life through his Name By which appeareth that this Fundamentall Point is all that is required as of Faith to our Salvation 1 Joh. 4.2 Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come into the flesh is of God 1 Joh. 5.1 Whosoever beleiveth that Jâ—sâ—s is the Christ is born of God and ver. 5. Who is it that overcometh the World but he that beleiveth that Jesus is the Son of God and vers. 13. These things have I written unto you that beleeve in the Name of The Son of God that ye may know that ye have â—ternall life Act. 8.36.37 The Eunuch said Here is Water what doth let me to be baptized And Philip said unto him if thou beleevest with iâ— thy heart thou mayst He answered and sayd I beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Son of God This point therefore was sufficient for the reception of Man into Baptisme that is to say to Christianity And Act. 16.30 The Keeper of the Prison fell down before Paul and Silas and said Sirs what shall I do to be saved And they sayd beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ And the Sermon of S. Peter upon the day of Pentecost was nothing else but an explication that Jesus was the Christ And when they had heard him asked him what shal we do he said unto them Ac. 2.38 Amend your lives and be baptized evry one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of sins Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt confâ—ss with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt beleeve in thy heart that God raised him up from the Dead thou shalt be saved To these places may be added that wheresoever our Savior Christ doth approve the Faith of any man the Proposition beleeved if the same to be collected out of the Text is alway some of those Fundamentall Points before mentioned or something Equivalent as the Faith of the Centurion Mat. 8.8 Speake the word only and my Servant shall be healed beleiving he was omnipotent The Faith of the Woman which had an Issue of Blood Math 9.21 If I may but touch the Hem of his Garment implying he was the Messiah The Faith required of the blind men Mat. 9.28 Beleeve you that I am able to do this The Faith of the Canaanitish Woman Matth. 15.22 That he was the Son of David implying the same And so it is in every one of those places none excepted where our Saviour commendeth any mans Faith which because they are too many to insert here I omit and refer them to his Inquisition that is not otherwise satisfied And as there is no other Faith required so there was no other preaching for the Prophets of the Old Testament preached no other and John the Baptist preached only the Approach of the Kingdome of Heaven that is to say of the Kingdome of Christ the same was the commission of the Apostles Mat. 10.7 Go preach saying the kingdome of Heaven is at hand And Paul preaching amongst the Jews Act. 18.5 did but testifie unto the Jews that Jesus was the Christ And the Heathens took notice of Christians no otherwise but by this name that they beleeved Jesus to be a King crying out Act. 17.6 These are they that have subverted the state of the World and here they are whom Jason hath received And these all doe against the Decrees of Caesar saying that there is another King One Jesus And this was the Sum of the Predictions the Sum of the Confessions of them that beleeved as well Men as Devils This was the Title of his Crosse Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jewes This the occasion of the Crowne of Thorns Scepter of Reed and a man to carry his Crosse This was the Subiect of the Hosanâ—a's And this was the Title by which our Saviour commanding to take another mans goods bad them say The Lord hath need And by this Title he purged the Temple of the profane market kept there Nor did the Apostles themselves believe any more then that Jesus was the Mâ—ssiah nor understand so much for they understood the Messiah to be no more then a Temporall King till after our Saviours Resurrection Furthermore this Point that Christ is the Messiah is particularly set forth for Fundamentall by that word or some other equivalent thereunto in divers places Upon the Confession of Peter Matth. 16.16 Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God Our Saviour ver. 18. saith Upon this Rock will I build my Church This point therefore is the whole Foundation of Christs Church Rom. 15.20 S. Paul raith I so inforced my self to preach the Gospel not where Christ was named lest I should have built upon another mans foundation 1 Cor. 3.10
by the Covenantor when that time cometh either by the Performance or by the Violation For a Covenant is void that is once impossible But a Covenant not to do without time limited which is as much as to say a Covenant never to do is dissolved by the Covenantor then only when he violateth it or dyeth And generally all Covenants are dischargeable by the Covenantee to whose benefit and by whose right he that maketh the Covenant is obliged This Right therefore of the Covenantee relinquished is a release of the Covenant And universally for the same reason all Obligations are determinable at the will of the Obliger 13. It is a Question often moved Whether such Covenants oblige as are extorted from men by Fear As for example Whether if a man for feare of Death hath promised to give a Theef an hundred pounds the next day and not discover him whether such Covenant be obligatory or not And though in some Cases such Covenant may be void yet it is not therefore void because extorted by Fear For there appeareth no reason why that which we do upon Fear should be lesse firme then that which we do for Covetousnesse For both the One and the Other maketh the Action Voluntary And if no Covenant should be good that proceedeth from feare of Death no conditions of Peace betweene Enemies nor any Laws could be of Force which are all consented to from that Fear For who would lose the liberty that nature hath given him of governing himselfe by his own will and power if they feared not Death in the retaining of it What Prisoner in War might be trusted to seek his Ransome and ought not rather to be killed if he were not tyed by the Grant of his life to perform his Promise But after the Introduction of Policy and Laws the case may alter for if by the Law the performance of such a Covenant be forbidden then he that promiseth any thing to a Theif not only may but must refuse to perform it But if the Law forbid not the performance but leave it to the will of the Promiser then is the performance still lawfull and the Covenant of things lawfull is obligatory even towards a Theif 14. He that giveth promiseth or covenanteth to one and after giveth promiseth or covenanteth the same to another maketh void the later Act. For it is impossible for a man to transfer that Right which he himselfe hath not and that Right he hath not which he himself hath before transferred 15. An Oath is a clause annexed to a Promise containing a Renuntiation of Gods mercy by him that promiseth in case he perform not as far as is lawfull and possible for him to doe And this appeareth by the words which make the Essence of the Oath So helpe me God So also was it amongst the Heathen And the forme of the Romans was Thou Jupiter kill him that breaketh as I kill this Beast The Intention therefore of an Oath being to provoke Vengeance upon the Breakers of Covenant it is to no purpose to sweare by Men be they never so great because their punishment by divers Accidents may be avoided whether they will or no but Gods Punishment not Though it were a Custome of many Nations to sweare by the life of their Princes yet those Princes being ambitious of Divine Honour give sufficient Testimony that they beleeved Nothing ought to be sworne by but the Deity 16. And seeing men cannot be afraid of the Power they beleeve not and an Oath is to no purpose without fear of him they swear by it is necessary that he that sweareth doe it in that forme which himself admitteth in his owne Religion and not in that forme which he useth that putteth him to the oath For though all men may know by nature that there is an Almighty Power neverthelesse they beleeve not that they sweare by him in any other form or name then what their own which they think the true Religion teacheth them 17. And by the definition of an Oath it appeareth that it addeth not a greater Obligation to perform the Covenant sworne then the Covenant carryeth in it self but it putteth a man into greater danger and of greater punishment 18 Covenants and Oaths are De Voluntariis that is De Possibilibus Nor can the Covenantee understand the Covenantor to promise Impossibles for they fall not under Deliberation and consequently by Chap. 13. Sect. 10. which maketh the Covenanter Interpreter no Covenant is understood to bind further then to our best endervour either in performance of the thing promised or in something Equivalent CHAP. III. 1. That men stand to their Covenants 2. Injury defined 3. That Iniury is done onely to the Covenantee 4. The signification of those Names Just Uniust 5. Justice not rightly divided into Commutative and Distributive 6. It is a Law of Nature that He that is trusted turn not that trust to the Damage of Him that trusteth 7. Ingratitude defined 8. It is a Law of Nature to endeavour to accommodate one another 9. And that man forgive upon caution for the future 10. And that revenge ought to respect the future onely 11. That reproach and contempt declared is against the Law of Nature 12. That Indifference of Commerce is of the law of nature 13. That Messengers imployed to procure or maintaine Peace ought to be safe by the Law of Nature IT is a common saying that nature maketh nothing in vain And it is most certaine that as the truth of a conclusion is no more but the truth of the premises that make it so the force of the Command or Law of Nature is no more then the Force of the Reasons inducing thereunto Therefore the Law of Nature mentioned in the former Chapter Sect. 2. namely That every man should devest himself of the Right c. were utterly vaine and of none effect if this also were not a Law of the same Nature That every man is obliged to stand to and perform those Covenants he maketh For what benefit is it to a man that any thing be promised or given unto him if he that giveth or promiseth performeth not or retaineth still the Right of taking back what he hath given 2. The breach or violation of Covenant is that which men call Iniury consisting in some Action or Omission which is therefore called Uniust For it is Action or Omission without Jus or right which was transferred or relinquish before There is a great Similitude between that we call Iniury or Iniustice in the Actions and Conversations of Men in the World and that which is called Absurd in the arguments and Disputations of the Schools For as he which is driven to contradict an Assertion by Him before maintained is sayd to be reduced to an Absurdity so he that through passion doth or omitteth that which before by Covenant he promised to doe or not to omit is sayd to commit Injustice And there is in every breach of Covenant a
against the generall definition of the Law of Nature 10. And seeing the Law of Nature commandeth Pardon when there is repentance and caution for the Future it followeth that the same Law ordaineth That no Revenge be taken upon the consideration only of the offence past but of the benefit to come that is to say That all Revenge ought to tend to amendment either of the Person offending or of others by the example of his punishment which is sufficiently apparent in that the Law of Nature commandeth Pardon where the future time is secured The same is also apparent by this That revenge when it considereth the offence past is nothing else but present Triumph and Glory and directeth to no End and what is directed to no end is therefore unprofitable and consequently the Triumph of Revenge is Vain-Glory And whatsoever is vain is against Reason and to hurt one another without Reason is contrary to that which by supposition is every mans Benefit namely Peace and what is contrary to peace is contrary to the Law of Nature 11. And because all signs which we shew to one another of Hatred and Contempt provoke in the highest degree to Quarrell and Battel in as much as Life it self with the condition of enduring scorn is not esteemed worth the enjoying much lesse Peace it must necessarily be implyed as a Law of Nature That no man reproach revile deride or any otherwise declare his Hatred Contempt or Disesteem of any other But this Law is very little practised For what is more ordinary then reproaches of those that are rich towards them that are not or of those that sit in place of Judicature towards those that are accused at the Bar although to greive them in that manner be no part of the punishment for their Crime nor contained in their Office But Use hath prevailed That what was lawful in the Lord towards the Servant whom he maintaineth is also practised a◠lawful in the more Mighty towards the lesse though they contribute nothing towards their maintenance 12. It is also a Law of Nature That one man allow Commerce and Traffick indifferently to one another For he that alloweth that to one man which he denyeth to another declareth his hatred to Him to whom he denyeth And to declare Hatred is Warr And upon this title was grounded the great War between the Athenians and the Peloponnesians For would the Athenians have condescended to suffer the Megareans their Neighbours to traffick in their Ports and Markets that War had not begun 13. And this also is a Law of Nature That all Messengers of Peace and such as are imployed to procure and maintaine Amity between Man and Man may safely come and goe For seeing Peace is the general Law of Nature the meanes thereto such as are these men must in the same Law be comprehended CHAP. IV. 1. A Law of Nature that every man acknowledge other for his Equal 2. Another That men allow aequalia aequalibus 3. Another that those things which cannot be divided be used in common 4. Another That things indivisible and incommunicable be divided by Lot 5. Natural Lot Primogeniture and first possession 6. That men submit to arbitration 7. Of an Arbitrator 8. That no man presse his counsel upon any man against his will 9. How to know suddenly what is the Law of Nature 10. That the Law of Nature taketh place after security from others to observe the same 11. The Right of Nature not to be taken away by Custome nor the Law of Nature abrogated by any Act. 12. Why the Dictates of Nature are called Lawes 13. Whatsoever is against Conscience in a man that is his owne Judge is against the Law of Nature 14. Of Malum Poenae Malum Culpae Virtue and Vice 15. Aptitude to society fulfilleth the Law of Nature THe Question which is the Better man is determinable onely in the Estate o◠Government and Policy though it be mistaken for a Question of Nature not onely by Ignorant men that thinke One man Blood better then Anothers by Nature but also by Him whose Opinions are at this day and in these parts of greater authority then any other humane writings For he puttet so much difference between the Powers 〈◊〉 men by Nature that he doubteth not to s◠down as the ground of all his Politick That some men are by Nature worthy to govern and Others by Nature ought to serve Which Foundation hath not only weakne◠the whole Frame of his Politicks but hath also given men Colour and Pretences whereby to disturb and hinder the Peace of one another For though there were such a Difference of Nature that Master and Servant were not by consent of men but by Inherent Virtue yet who hath that Eminency of Virtue above others and who is so stupid as not to govern himself shall never be agreed upon amongst men who do every one naturally think himself as able at the least to govern another as another to govern him And when there was any contention between the Finer and the Courser Wits as there hath been often in Times of Sedition and Civill War for the most part these latter carried away the Victory and as long as men arrogate to themselves more Honour then they give to others it cannot be imagined how they can possibly live in Peace and consequently we are to suppose that for Peace sake Nature hath ordained this Law That every man acknowledg other for his Equall And the Breach of this Law is that we call Pride 2. As it was necessary that a man should not retain his Right to every thing so also was it that he should retain his right to some Things to his own Body for example the Right of Defending whereof he could not transfer To the Use of Fire water Free Aire and Place to live in and to all things necessary for Life Nor doth the Law of Nature command any devesting of other Rights then of those only which cannot be retained without the losse of Peace Seeing then many Rights are retained when we enter into peace one with another Reason and the Law of Nature dictateth Whatsoever Right any man requireth to retain he allow every other man to retain the same For he that doth not so alloweth not the Equality mentioned in the former Section For there is no acknowledgement of Worth without attribution of the Equality of Benefit and Respect And this allowance of aequalia aequalibus is the same thing with the allowing of Proportionalia Proportionalibus For when a man alloweth to every man a like the allowance he maketh will be in the same proportion in which are the Numbers of men to whom they are made And this is it men mean by distributive Justice and is properly termed Equity The Breach of this Law is that which the Greeks call {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which is commonly rendred coveteousness but seemeth to be more precisely expressed by the word
Assemblies as those must be whereinto every man may enter at his pleasure there is no means any waies to deliberate and give Councel what to do but by long and set Orations whereby to every man there is more or less hope given to incline sway the Assembly to their own Ends In a multitude of speakers therefore where alwaies either one is eminent alone or a few being equal amongst themselvs are eminent above the rest that one or few must of necessity sway the whole Insomuch that a Democracy in effect is no more then an Aristocracy of Orators interrupted sometimes with the temporary Monarchy of one Orator 6. And seeing a Democracy is by Institution the beginning both of Aristocracy and Monarchy we are to consider next how Aristocracy is derived from it When the particular Members of the Common Wealth growing weary of attendance at publick Courts as dwelling far off or being attentive to their private Businesses and withall displeased with the Government of the People assemble themselves to make an Aristocracy there is no more required to the making thereof but putting to the Question one by one the Names of such men as it shall consist of and assenting to their Election and by plurality of Vote to transfer that power which before the People had to the number of men so named and chosen 7. And from this manner of erecting an Aristocracy it is manifest that the Few or Optimates have entred into no Covenant with any of the particular Members of the Common VVealth wherof they are Soveraign and consequently cannot do any thing to any private man that can be called Injury to him howsoever their act be wicked before Almighty God according to that which hath been sayd before Sect â— Farther it is impossible that the People as one Body Politick should covenant with the Aristocracy or Optimates on whom they intend to transfer their Soveraignty For no sooner is the Aristocracy erected but the Democracy is annihilated and the Covenants made unto them void 8. In all Aristocracies the Admission of such as are from time to time to have Vote in the soveraign assembly dependeth on the Will and Decree of the present Optimates For they being the Soveraign have the nomination by the 11. Section of the former Chapter of all Magistrates Ministers and Counsellors of State whatsoever and may therefore chuse either to make them elective or hereditary at their pleasure 9. Out of the same Democracy the Institution of a Political Monarch proceedeth in the same manner as did the Institutioâ— of the Aristocracy to wit by a Decree of the Soveraign People to passe the Soveraignty to One Man named and approved by Plurality of Suffrage And if this Soveraignty be truly and indeed transferred the Estate or Common-Wealth is an absolute Monarchy wherein the Monarch is at liberty to disposâ— as well of the Succession as of the Possession and not an Elective Kingdome For supposâ— a Decree be made first in this manner Thaâ— such a One shal have the Soveraignty for hiâ— life and that afterward they will chuse a new In this Case the Power of the People is dissolved or not if dissolved then after the Death of him that is chosen there is no man bound to stand to the Decrees of them that shall as Private men run together to make a new Election and consequently if there be any man who by the advantage of the Raign of Him that is dead have strength enough to hold the multitude in Peace and Obedience he may lawfully or rather is by the Law of Nature obliged so to do if this power of the people were not dissolved at the chusing of their King for life then is the people Soveraign still and the King a Minister thereof only but so as to put the whole Soveraignty in Execution A Great Minister but no otherwise for his time then a Dictator was in Rome In this case at the death of him that was chosen they that meet for a new Election have no new but their old Authority for the same For they were the Soveraign all the time as appeareth by the Acts of those Elective Kings that have procured from the People that their children might succeed them For it is to be understood when a man receiveth any thing from the Authority of the people he receiveth it not from the People his Subiects but from the people his Soveraign And farther though in the Election of a King for his life the People grant him the Exercise of their Soveraignty for that time Yet if they see cause they may recall the same before the Time As a Prince that conferreth an Office for life may nevertheless upon suspition of Abuse thereof recall it at his pleasure in as much as Offices that require lobour and care are understood to passe from him that giveth them as Onera Burthens to them that have them the recalling whereof are therefore not Injury but Favour Nevertheless if in making an Elective King with Intention to reserve the Soveraignty they reserve not a Power at certaine known and determined times and places to assemble themselves the reservation of their Soveraignty is of no effect in as much as no man is bound to stand to the Decrees and Determinations of those that assemble themselves without the Soveraign Authortiy 10. In the former Section is shewed that elective Kings that exercise their Soveraignty for a Time which determines with their Life either are Subjects or not Soveraigns And that it is when the people in Election of them reserve unto themselves the right of Assembling at certaine times and places limited and made known Or else Absolute Soveraigns to dispose of the Succession at their Pleasure and that is when the people in their Election have declared no time nor place of their meeting or have left it to the power of the Elected King to assemble and dissolve them at such times as he himselfe shall think good There is another kind of Limitation of time to him that shal be elected to use the Soveraign Power which whether it hath been practised anywhere or not I know not but it may be imagined and hath been obiected against the Rigor of Soveraign Power and it is this that the People transfer their Soveraignty upon Conditions As for Example for so long as he shall observe such and such Lawes as they then prescribe him And here as before in elected Kings the Question is to be made whether in the Electing of such a Soveraign they reserved to themselves a right of Assembling at times and places limited and known or not if not then is the Soveraignty of the People dissolved and have neither power to iudge of the Breach of the Conditions given him nor to command any Forces for the Deposing of him whom on that Condition they had set up but are in the Estate of war amongst themselves as they were before they made themselves a Democracy and consequently