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g　with　the　price　of　his　redemption。　It　holds　universally　true；　that　promises　doe　oblige　when　there　is　some　benefit　received；　and　that　to　promisee　and　the　thing　promised；　be　lawfull：　But　it　is　lawfull；　for　the　redemption　of　my　life；　both　to　promise；　and　to　give　what　I　will　of　mine　owne　to　any　man；　even　to　a　Thief。　We　are　oblig'd　therefore。　by　promises　proceeding　from　fear；　except　the　Civill　Law　forbid　them；　by　vertue　whereof；　that　which　is　promised　becomes　unlawfull。　　　　　XVII。　Whosoever　shall　contract　with　one　to　doe；　or　omit　somewhat；　and　shall　after　Covenant　the　contrary　with　another；　he　maketh　not　the　former；　but　the　latter　Contract　unlawfull：　for；　he　hath　no　longer　Right　to　doe；　or　to　omit　ought；　who　by　former　Contracts　hath　conveyed　it　to　another；　wherefore　he　can　conveigh　no　Right　by　latter　Contracts；　and　what　is　promised；　is　promis'd　without　Right：　He　is　therefore　tyed　onely　to　his　first　Contract；　to　break　which　is　unlawfull。　　　　　XVIII。　No　man　is　oblig'd　by　any　Contracts　whatsoever　not　to　resist　him　who　shall　offer　to　kill；　wound；　or　any　other　way　hurt　his　Body；　for　there　is　in　every　man　a　certain　high　degree　of　feare　through　which　he　apprehends　that　evill　which　is　done　to　him　to　be　the　greatest；　and　therefore　by　naturall　necessity　he　shuns　it　all　he　can；　and　'tis　suppos'd　he　can　doe　no　otherwise：　When　a　man　is　arrived　to　this　degree　of　fear；　we　cannot　expect　but　he　will　provide　for　himself　either　by　flight；　or　fight。　Since　therefore　no　man　is　tyed　to　impossibilities；　they　who　are　threatned　either　with　deathe　（which　is　the　greatest　evill　to　nature）　or　wounds；　or　some　other　bodily　hurts；　and　are　not　stout　enough　to　bear　them；　are　not　obliged　to　endure　them。　Farthermore；　he　that　is　tyed　by　Contract　is　trusted；　（for　Faith　only　is　the　Bond　of　Contracts）　but　they　who　are　brought　to　punishment；　either　Capitall；　or　more　gentle；　are　fettered；　or　strongly　guarded；　which　is　a　most　certain　signe　that　they　seem'　d　not　sufficiently　bound　from　non　resistance　by　their　Contracts。　Its　one　thing　if　I　promise　thus：　If　I　doe　it　not　at　the　day　appointed；　kill　me。　Another　thing　if　thus：　If　I　doe　it　not；　though　you　should　offer　to　kill　me；　I　will　not　resist：　All　men；　if　need　be；　contract　the　first　way；　but　there　is　need　sometimes。　This　second　way；　none；　neither　is　it　ever　needfull；　for　in　the　meer　state　of　nature；　if　you　have　a　mind　to　kill；　that　state　it　selfe　affords　you　a　Right；　insomuch　as　you　need　not　first　trust　him；　if　for　breach　of　trust　you　will　afterward　kill　him。　But　in　a　Civill　State；　where　the　Right　of　life；　and　death；　and　of　all　corporall　punishment　is　with　the　Supreme；　that　same　Right　of　killing　cannot　be　granted　to　any　private　person。　Neither　need　the　Supreme　himselfe　contract　with　any　man　patiently　to　yeeld　to　his　punishment；　but　onely　this；　that　no　man　offer　to　defend　others　from　him。　If　in　the　state　of　nature；　as　between　two　Cities；　there　should　a　Contract　be　made；　on　condition　of　killing；　if　it　were　not　perform'd；　we　must　presuppose　another　Contract　of　not　killing　before　the　appointed　day。　Wherefore　on　that　day；　if　there　be　no　performance；　the　right　of　Warre　returnes；　that　is；　an　hostile　state；　in　which　all　things　are　lawfull；　and　therefore　resistance　also。　Lastly；　by　the　contract　of　not　resisting；　we　are　oblig'd　of　two　Evills　to　make　choice　of　that　which　seemes　the　greater；　for　certaine　Death　is　a　greater　evill　then　Fighting；　but　of　two　Evills　it　is　impossible　not　to　chuse　the　least：　By　such　a　Compact　therefore　we　should　be　tyed　to　impossibilities；　which　is　contrary　to　the　very　nature　of　compacts。　　　　　XIX。　Likewise　no　man　is　tyed　by　any　Compacts　whatsoever　to　accuse　himself；　or　any　other；　by　whose　dammage　he　is　like　to　procure　himselfe　a　bitter　life；　wherefore　neither　is　a　Father　oblig'd　to　bear　witnesse　against　his　Sonne；　nor　a　Husband　against　his　Wife；　nor　a　Sonne　against　his　Father；　nor　any　man　against　any　one；　by　whose　meanes　he　hath　his　subsistance；　for　in　vain　is　that　testimony　which　is　presum'd　to　be　corrupted　from　nature；　but　although　no　man　be　tyed　to　accuse　himself　by　any　compact；　yet　in　a　publique　tryall　he　may；　by　torture；　be　forc'd　to　make　answer；　but　such　answers　are　no　testimony　of　the　fact；　but　helps　for　the　searching　out　of　truth；　insomuch　as　whether　the　party　tortur'd　his　answer　be　true；　or　false；　or　whether　he　answer　not　at　all；　whatsoever　he　doth；　he　doth　it　by　Right。　　　　　XX。　Swearing　is　a　speech　joyned　to　a　promise；　whereby　the　promiser　declares　his　renouncing　of　Gods　mercy；　unlesse　he　perform　his　word；　which　definition　is　contained　in　the　words　themselves；　which　have　in　them　the　very　essence　of　an　Oath；　to　wit；　so　God　help　me；　or　other　equivalent；　as　with　the　Romans；　Doe　thou　Jupiter　so　destroy　the　deceiver；　as　I　slay　this　same　Beast：　neither　is　this　any　let；　but　that　an　Oath　may　as　well　sometimes　be　affirmatory；　as　promissory；　for　he　that　confirmes　his　affirmation　with　an　Oath；　promiseth　that　he　speaks　truth。　But　though　in　some　places　it　was　the　fashion　for　Subjects　to　Swear　by　their　Kings；　that　custome　took　its　Originall　hence；　That　those　Kings　took　upon　them　Divine　Honour；　for　Oathes　were　therefore　introduc'd　that　by　Religion；　and　consideration　of　the　Divine　Power　men　might　have　a　greater　dread　of　breaking　their　Faiths；　then　that　wherewith　they　fear　men；　from　whose　eyes　their　actions　may　lie　hid。　　　　　XXI。　Whence　it　followes；　that　an　Oath　must　be　conceived　in　that　forme　which　he　useth；　who　takes　it；　for　in　vain　is　any　man　brought　to　Swear　by　a　God　whom　he　beleeves　not；　and　therefore　neither　feares　him。　For　though　by　the　light　of　nature　it　may　be　known　that　there　is　a　God；　yet　no　man　thinks　he　is　to　Swear　by　him　in　any　other　fashion；　or　by　any　other　name　then　what　is　contain'd　in　the　precepts　of　his　own　proper；　that　is；　（as　he　who　Swears　imagines）　the　true　Religion。　　　　　XXII。　By　the　definition　of　an　Oath　we　may　understand；　that　a　bare　Contract　obligeth　no　lesse；　then　that　to　which　we　are　Sworn；　for　it　is　the　contract　which　binds　us；　the　Oath　relates　to　the　Divine　punishment；　which　it　could　not　provoke；　if　the　breach　of　contract　were　not　in　its　selfe　unlawfull；　but　it　could　not　be　unlawfull　if　the　Contract　were　not　obligatory。　Furthermore；　he　that　renounceth　the　mercy　of　God　obligeth　himselfe　not　to　any　punishment；　because　it　is　ever　lawfull　to　deprecate　the　punishment　howsoever　provok'd；　and　to　enjoy　Gods　Pardon　if　it　be　granted。　The　onely　effect　therefore　of　an　Oath　is　this；　To　cause　men　who　are　naturally　inclin'd　to　break　all　manner　of　faith；　through　fear　of　punishment；　to　make　the　more　Conscience　of　their　words　and　actions。　　　　　XXIII。　To　exact　an　Oath；　where　the　breach　of　contract；　if　any　be　made；　cannot　but　be　known；　and　where　the　party　compacted；　withall　wants　not　power　to　punish；　is　to　do　somewhat　more　then　is　necessary　unto　self…defence；　and　shewes　a　mind　desirous　not　so　much　to　benefit　it　selfe；　as　to　prejudice　another。　For　an　Oath；　out　of　the　very　form　of　swearing；　is　taken　in　order　to　the　provocation　of　Gods　anger；　that　is　to　say；　of　him　that　is　Omnipotent　against　those　who　think；　that　by　their　own　therefore　violate　their　Faith；　because　they　strength　they　can　escape　the　punishment　of　men；　and　of　him　that　is　Omniscient　against　those；　who　therefore　usually　break　their　trust；　because　they　hope　that　no　man　shall　see　them。

Chap。　III。

Of　the　other　Lawes　of　Nature。


　　　　I。　Another　of　the　Lawes　of　Nature　is；　to　performe　Contracts；　or　to　keep　trust；　for　it　hath　been　shewed　in　the　foregoing　Chapter　that　the　Law　of　Nature　commands　every　man；　as　a　thing　necessary；　to　obtain　Peace；　to　conveigh　certain　rights　from　each　to　other；　and　that　this　（as　often　as　it　shall　happen　to　be　done）　is　called　a　Contract：　But　this　is　so　farre　forth　onely　conducible　to　peace；　as　we　shall　performe　Our　selves；　what　we　contract　with　others；　shall　be　done；　or　omitted；　and　in　vaine　would　Contracts　be　made；　unlesse　we　stood　to　them。　Because　therefore；　to　stand　to　our　Covenants；　Or　to　keep　faith；　is　a　thing　necessary　for　the　obtaining　of　peace；　it　will　prove　by　the　second　Article　of　the　second　Chapter　to　be　a　precept　of　the　naturall　Law。　　　　　II。　Neither　is　there　in　this　matter；　any　exception　of　the　persons；　with　whom　we　Contract；　as　if　they　keep　no　faith　with　others；　Or　hold；　that　none　ought　to　be　kept；　or　are　guilty　of　any　other　kind　of　vice：　for　he　that　Contracts；　in　that　he　doth　contract；　denies　that　action　to　be　in　vaine；　and　it　is　against　reason　for　a　knowing　man　to　doe　a　thing　in　vain；　and　if　he　think　himself　not　bound　to　keep　it；　in　thinking　so；　he　affirms　the　Contract　to　be　made　in　vain：　He　therefore；　who　Contracts　with　one　with　whom　he　thinks　he　is　not　bound　to　keep　faith；　he　doth　at　once　think　a　Contract　to　be　a　thing　done　in　vaine；　and　not　in　vaine；　which　is　absurd。　Either　therefore　we　must　hold　trust　with　all　men；　or　else　not　bargain　with　them；　that　is；　either　there　must　be　a　declared　Warre；　Or　a　sure　and　faithfull　Peace。　　　　　III。　The　breaking　of　a　Bargain；　as　also　the　taking　back　of　a　gift；　（which　ever　consists　in　some　action；　Or　omission）　is　called　an　INJURY：　But　that　action；　or　omission；　is　called　unjust；　insomuch　as　an　injury；　and　an　unjust　action；　or　omission；　signifie　the　same　thing；　and　both　are　the　same　with　breach　of　Contract　and　trust：　And　it　seemes　the　word　Iniury　came　to　be　given　to　any　action；　or　omission；　because　they　were　without　Right。　He　that　acted；　or　omitted；　having　before　conveyed　bis　Right　to　some　other。　And　there　is　some　likenesse　between　that；　which　in　the　common　course　of　life　we　call　Injury；　and　that；　which　in　the　Schools　is　usually　called　absurd。　For　even　as　he；　who　by　Arguments　is　driven　to　deny　the　Assertion　which　he　first　maintain'd；　is　said　to　be　brought　to　an　absurdity；　in　like　manner；　he　who　through　weaknesse　of　mind　does；　or　omits　that　which　before　he　had　by　Contract　promis'd　not　to　doe；　or　omit；　commits　an　Injury；　and　falls　into　no　lesse　contradiction；　then　he；　who　in　the　Schools　is　reduc'd　to　an　Absurdity。　For　by　contracting　for　some　future　action；　he　wills　it　done；　by　not　doing　it；　he　wills　it　not　done；　which　is　to　will　a　thing　done；　and　not　done　at　the　same　time；　which　is　a　contradiction。　An　Injury　therefore　is　a　kind　of　absurdity　in　conversation；　as　an　absurdity　is　a　kind　of　injury　in　disputation。　　　　　IV。　From　these　grounds　it　followes；　that　an　injury　can　be　done　to　no　man　but　him　with