PHI LOS 0 P H Y . - Classic Works of Apologetics Online

58 ~1 (Jrai Obliga! io"_
sion for my vote, I may possibly give il him, frollt a
motive of gratitude or expectation; but I should
hardly say, that I was obliged to give it him, bec~use
the inducetnent does not rise high enough- Whereas,
if a fa~her or a master, or any great benEfactor ~
or one on \vhom my fortune depends, !Iequire nly
vote, I give it him of course; and my anS\\ger to ~ll
who a'-:k me why I voted so and so, i~, that nly fa-
J ther or my master obliged me; and that I had receivl
ed so many favours from, or had so great a de.
! pendence upon s\lch a one, that I was obliged to vote
I as he directed me.
S.ECONDLY, "It • esulr froln the command
~L~" Offer a man a graturty-tordoing any
thing, for st'izing, for example, an offender, he is not
obliged t,y your C)i1er to do it; nor could he say he
is, though he lna)T be i;zduced, persuaded, prevailed
- upon, telJ1pted. If a n·lagistrate, or the Inan's imme ..
I
_diate supel"ior conlmand it, he considers hin1self- as
obliged to comply, though possibly he would lose less
by a rufusal in this case, than in the former .
. I will not undertake to say that the words obliga:.
tion and obliged are used unifvrmly in this sense, or
alwa}Ts ,virh this distinction; nor is it possible to tic
do\vn popular I)hjeases to allY COIlstant sig,ftification :
but, "ih~rever. tb~1!lQ~i_v~ jL~ol~nt cnou~h,-_ and
coupl_ed ~jth th(:_iMa_m~£illllnla:lJ~~ atltl1Qrity.,-la\v,
or the \Vil!_