paction

44r/ Feare of other superinducted Laws and Government, mutuall pactions and such like, may (h) give an external and adventitious coercion to him to observe those Common Rules of Reason by which such Lawes are superinducted, and in conformity whereunto they are made; yett still the Rule of Reason simply consider'd (excluding the authority of the Supream Legislator) would stil (i) be without the true formall Nature of a Law, because tho it were an excellent Rule, yet it would induce no Obligation upon him that hath it but he might use, or not use it (j) at his pleasure, if he can but deliver himself from the Difficultys of other external supervenient Government (k) Laws or Penaltys either by Secrecy or Power.

But in other Cases of human Law's and human legislators according to the various Constitutions (a) of Government and the various pacts and contracts, that either at first or in Proces of time intervened between the Governors and Governed, it may fall out that the Governor (b) not only civilly, but by the Law of God himself may be bound by his own Law's because the Governors in such cases are bound under that soveraign Law of fides servanda as well as the Govern'd, if such pactions can sufficiently appear either by the pacts themselves or by long usage interpretatively evidenceing them.