Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

1. Because the Bounty of God hath laid upon us the strongest Obligations. The strength of an Obligation depends upon the greatness and numerousness of the Benefits received. The more Excellent the favours are, which are conferred upon any Person, the more right hath the Benefactor, to claim an observance from the Person bettered by him. Much of the Rule and Empire, which hath been in several Ages conferred by Communities upon Princes, hath had its first spring from a sense of the advantages they have received by them, either in protecting them from their Enemies, or rescuing them from an ignoble Captivity; in enlarging their Territories, or increasing their Wealth. Conquest hath been the Original of a constrained, but Beneficence always the Original of a voluntary and free Subjection^*. Obedience to Parents is founded upon their right, because they are instrumental in bestowing upon us Being and Life; and because this of life is so great a benefit, the Law of Nature never dissolves this Obligation of Obeying, and Honouring Parents; 'Tis as long lived as the Law of Nature, and hath an universal practice, by the strength of that Law in all parts of the World: And those rightful Chains are not unlocked, but by that which unties the knot between Soul and Body. Much more hath God ⟨p. 681⟩a Right to be obeyed and reverenced, who is the principal Benefactor, and moved all those second Causes, to impart to us, what conduced to our advantage. The just Authority of God over us, results from the superlativeness of his Blessings he hath poured down upon us, which cannot be equalled, much less exceeded by any other. As therefore upon this account he hath a claim to our choicest Affections, so he hath also to most exact Obedience; and neither one, nor other can be denied him, without a sordid and disingenuous ingratitude; God therefore aggravates the Rebellion of the Jews, from the cares he had in the bringing them up^*, and the miraculous deliverance from Egypt^†, implying that those Benefits were strong Obligations to an ingenuous observance of him.

1. Because the Bounty of God hath laid upon us the strongest Obligations. The strength of an Obligation depends upon the greatness and numerousness of the Benefits received. The more Excellent the favours are, which are conferr'd upon any Person, the more right hath the Benefactor, to claim an observance from the Person better'd by him. Much of the Rule and Empire, which hath been in several Ages conferred by Communities upon Princes, hath had its first spring from a sense of the advantages they have receiv'd by them, either in protecting them from their Enemies, or rescuing them from an ignoble Captivity; in enlarging their Territories, or increasing their Wealth. Conquest hath been the Original of a constrain'd, but Beneficence always the Original of a voluntary and free Subjection