Historie of the world : in five bookes

Page 142

The fecond Bodke of thefirkl part _Cuar.4.66 Anditis moft true, that whofoeveris nota law unto himfelfe( while hee hopethto a. bufe the world by the advantage of hypocrifieyworketh nothing elfe, but the betraying | of his ownefoule, by crafty unrighteouftelle, purchafing eternal! perdigion. For it helpethus not to hide our corrupt hearts fromthe worldseye, feeing from him, whoisan infinite eye, we cannot hide them : fome Garlands we maygather inthisMay-gameof the world,Sed flos tlle, dum loquimur,are{cit; Thofe flowers wither while we difcourfeof their colours, or are ia gathering them. That we fhould therefore inhabite and dwell within our felves,and becomefearcfull witneffes ofourfecreteft euils,did that reucrend Philofophe Pythagoras teach in this golden precept: Vil turpe committas,neque Coram alys,peque tecum, Gent, Job. 0.28, maxi? onaninm verere teipfam , Commit nothing foule or difboneft, faith he, neitherto bee knowane toothers, nor to thine ovowe heart: but above all men renerence thine owne con/ciente And thismay bea precept of nature and right reafon: by which Jaw, men, and al creatures, and bodyes, are inclined to thofe operations, whieh are an{werableto theit owneforme; as fireto giveheate. Now, asthe reafonable mindeis the formeofman,fo is heaptly moued to thofethings whichhis properforme prefenteth vnto him : to wit, to that which right reafon offereth; and the aéts ofright reafon,are the acts of vertuesand inthebreach of the rules of thisreafon, is manleaft excufable : as being a reafonable creature. For all elfe,both fenfitiue, growing, and inanimate, obey the Law which God impofed on themattheirfirft creation. ca The Earth per formethheroffice, according to the Law of Godin nature: forit bri gethforth the bud of the hearbe which feedeth feede, &c. and the Beaft, whichliveth thereon. Hee gaue a Law to the Seas , and commandedthem to keepe their bounds: which they obey. Hee made adecree fortheraine, and a way forthe lightningofthe thunders, Hecaufed the Sunne to moue, and to giue light,andto ferue forfignesand for feafons. Were thefe as rebellious as man, for whofe fake they were created, ordid they once breake the law'of theit naturesand formes ;the whole world would then perith,and ith fatiet ] fatiery, nor hurt vs with excefle. é For as Se i felfe is forthe preferuation oflifeand being y, + euen by the Law of vee Ms on, either ofour life of be- a em: In which swrallright, or Jus naturale,co-bethe fanie Which Nature hath ray al lining creatures; _ Yetthe Sehaolemen admit not; that the inftinéts of beafts.can bee Proper ly calleda Law, go bur onely alu, or Rieht;whichis the mattet, and aime ofeuer y Law. For fothey dittinguilhit; whereripiamaffirmeth, that Jus natur uing creatures. In this place( faith Valemtia.) ale is that,whic h Naturehath taughrall liJusis not to be taken fora Law, datter but for the h theright belongin bung creatures in gencrall, fromthetig i bt belonging to men; callidethe ofie the other Zus. eentium the Diuines vaderftand Ss -? the law of natute nich i alleuident dictates, precepts, or biddings BeENRGNG law of Nationstoa kinde of diuine reafon:both in beafte,eaeer of huma _ ; He third appetiteis of thofe things whic ne rights h appertaine properly to man . hingSisal Feajoneble + as Well isade with relationto God, a " an Nie ewne 4 :BAe ues. :. andthe nen of this appetite are the Comimandentents of our Relis * . . * cl e : ow lthough Nowa ug there are many other branches and diuifi ons ofthiislaw of* nature nat \.an< it prefcribeth, and-as manifold, asth e snatalleaie onsate which it commandeth or forbiddeth :ye r is the lawof nature but one law accore ing to dquinas: firtt, becaufe it hath one fountaitie Werttig the diuifion of matter, which 3® Thatthis law ofnatute bindeth ali creatu to one arid the fame Jatt ~ .beahamon 3 in whomasreafores, itis manifett : and chiefly man; becaufe n sroweth, fo thisbandofobferuing shee eth, ofquamratio ad , perfedlum venit, tync Sit quodferiptum the law eft, Adwe» BaGls smoteane faite When reafe ngrew toPerfection,phen itcame tépal meee aye fn When the Comm andement came,finnereniued:Neitheris fe,which iba fmall Tobe dehnatear o ys thof e whichbreake rhe fameyare {aid by Saint eer tate Tinto aveprobatefenfe( or Pewk; . mind e)t0 doe eet againe, that their con{eiewces beare witnelfe, thole things which are mbt conue. Rom.rix8. andtheir thoughts aceufe theni: For Hl oug this law of nature ftrecch not Rom.2.35 to euery particular ‘ asto command faft ing and the € + y¢tsit Commandethin generall all good , and whatfoeuer is agreedble to night and 49tcafon . tianen Atdtherfefore, ek id Dettelion Das ateeal ; ee ne es Homines fatli: font mali,; declitandoin id quod 1.5, Pid, orcaoy 7 is Aden faith he) are made exill, by decliving vate that which x COMmbrATY 63% Avabire ‘aiid Saint duguftine, Omnevitiy 9 nature nocet,ac per hoc contra \ matu : welland evil! doing, was putinto our natures by God, andhis eternal Law,be fore the Law written: A¢e/es in the perfon of God witnefleth,Gen.4. 1/thou doe wellbalt at thy doore. The Schoolemenare large alfoin this queftion ofthe natural Law: the famebeing as oe ref fiedn? ‘Antonius, and Valentia: Bur itis not mypurpofe to write aVor umneof this fubied: Butthis Lawwhich Thomz Aquinas calleth a2 42 of reafon taken properly, and noté habite, asitisan euident nattrall tudgementof practiquereafon: they diuide into inst, monttrable, or needing no demonftration (as that 800d is to bee followed, and cuill ce chewed ) and demonftrable, which is euidently proued, out of higher and more vailk thou not be accepted, and ifthou doe not well, finne lyeth fall propofitions. Againe, asit anfweteth the naturall appetite prefcribing things ( - defited as good, or to be anoydedas euill (as of the firft to defire to line, and to ‘ats hunger; &cvand of the fecond; to efchew paines, forrow.and death)in this confideration Exery vite dork wroug to nature,a nd is therefore contrary unto it, Neither yetaue thesules ofthis law rane eff ' of . pesin one tticulars. For whereas ofnature fo ftraighe, biut that they furffe ie ye. it 7 a set inequality ofPo by this lawall ir ate borne Lai of shedaice rtio they diuide ir, according to the diuers kindes of appetites that are in vs. Forin eucry ™ there arethree forts of appetites, which anfwerthe thite of natural! Law- Te firltis,ro be that which we are} in whichis compretiendeddegrees the defire, both to liue,ane® onoa"2ehBining tothegood sand ns,accotdingto vnequall merit: by takifig from by permitting and commanding thata ake. ll men fhall tes Of their labours to themfelues: according tothe rules ofiuftice and es $e : Andthoughthe Lawof natute comm and, tha: tall thin i gs be reft ored wh i oe yetin fome caufes, this her i law thee es: andthelike, which he left faffereth tobe broken : estescsto in keepi ng while he was fober. Bur m gritciples caf no more bechanged, Vniuers than the totus of Godarealterablethe MOINS to Saint Paul, abiderh faithful : who ace , and cannes denje himfelfe; 2 Tinea; preferue our being andi fe,alfo the defire of iffte; with care to prouide for them: fort Fatherafter his death liuesin his children 3and therefore the defire oflife compreh™ the defie of children. Andtothefe appetites are refetred the firtindemonttrable a" of nature, forthe moft part. For it needs no proofe,tharall The fecond kinde of appetite is of thof e thin fenfe. Whence,by the law of Nature,we defir gs which appertaine to vs, as wee haue e the delights of,euery ferifesbur with fuck moder¢ ation, as mayneither glutvs t thirdly, becaufe all the partsare reduced wardsothers, the fame by others might be done vnto him againe. And thatthis judge mentof arh2. ofthe Fifhorie ofthe World. , or roote in the naturall or morinte fad cu eernishts but one, ftitring vpro good, anddeclining che contrary ; fecondly:-he. on a is egngened in that generall natural precept, That good is to bee ai i a" ‘and follow, all returne tothe firft chaos, darkneffe, and confufion. Bythis naturall Law, or Law of humane reafon, did Caiz perceiue his ownc wicked: neffe,and offence, in the murther ofAbel: forhe not onely feared the difpleafure ofGod, butthe revenge of men: it being writtenin his reafon,that whatfoeuer he performed t0-! Tho. 9.94. / Cit arigiGio. creattires fhould defireto™ to liue,and tobe defended,and tolittein their iffue}when they Cafinot in theméelacs- ne as manisa being, Ens or Res : fo he doth defire good, and {hun euill. Foritis common? aanneagtecble to . owne natiites, whiclyis, to defire ee chned by Ariftetle, to be that'whichalldefice. Which 4 Ethichttte ton Bafid ypon the 44. Palm e approveth s Kece quidem Boniimn definierunt, 200 : wohran 3 Rightly haue fome men defin ed Good, oy Goodnelfe, te be rhar which all8 eUTe. Aa a The | ; §. VIf.