liberty-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


o　wit；　that　one　is　an　equality　simply　so　called；　as　when　two　things　of　equall　value　are　compar'd　together；　as　a　pound　of　silver　with　twelve　ounces　of　the　same　silver；　the　other　is　an　equality；　secundum；　quod　as　when　a　1000　pound　is　to　be　divided　to　an　hundred　men；　600　pounds　are　given　to　60　men；　and　400　to　40　where　there　is　no　equality　between　600　and　400。　But　when　it　happens；　that　there　is　the　same　inequality　in　the　number　of　them　to　whom　it　is　distributed；　every　one　of　them　shall　take　an　equall　part；　whence　it　is　called　an　equall　distribution：　But　such　like　equality　is　the　same　thing　with　Geometricall　proportion。　But　what　is　all　this　to　Justice？　for　neither；　if　I　sell　my　goods　for　as　much　as　I　can　get　for　them；　doe　I　injure　the　buyer；　who　sought；　and　desir'd　them　of　me？　neither　if　I　divide　more　of　what　is　mine　to　him　who　deserves　lesse；　so　long　as　I　give　the　other　what　I　have　agreed　for；　do　I　wrong　to　either？　which　truth　our　Saviour　himself；　being　God；　testifies　in　the　Gospell。　This　therefore　is　no　distinction　of　Justice；　but　of　equality；　yet　perhaps　it　cannot　be　deny'd；　but　that　Justice　is　a　certain　equality；　as　consisting　in　this　onely；　that　since　we　are　all　equall　by　nature；　one　should　not　arrogate　more　Right　to　himselfe；　then　he　grants　to　another；　unlesse　he　have　fairly　gotten　it　by　Compact。　And　let　this　suffice　to　be　spoken　against　this　distinction　of　Justice；　although　now　almost　generally　receiv'd　by　all；　lest　any　man　should　conceive　an　injury　to　be　somewhat　else；　then　the　breach　of　Faith；　or　Contract；　as　hath　been　defin'd　above。　　　　　VII。　It　is　an　old　saying；　Volenti　non　fit　iniuria　（the　willing　man　receives　no　injury）　yet　the　truth　of　it　may　be　deriv'd　from　our　Principles。　For　grant；　that　a　man　be　willing　that　that　should　be　done；　which　he　conceives　to　be　an　injury。　to　him；　why　then　that　is　done　by　his　will；　which　by　Contract　was　not　lawfull　to　be　done；　but　he　being　willing　that　should　be　done；　which　was　not　lawfull　by　Contract；　the　Contract　it　self　（by　the　15。　5　Article　of　the　foregoing　Chapter）　becomes　void：　The　Right　therefore　of　doing　it　returnes；　therefore　it　is　done　by　Right；　wherefore　it　is　no　injury。　　　　　VIII。　The　third　precept　of　the　Naturall　Law；　is；　That　you　suffer　not　him　to　be　the　worse　for　you；　who　out　of　the　confidence　he　had　in　you；　first　did　you　a　good　turn；　or　that　you　accept　not　a　gift；　but　with　a　mind　to　endeavour；　that　the　giver　shall　have　no　just　occasion　to　repent　him　of　his　gift。　For　without　this　he　should　act　without　reason　that　would　conferre　a　benefit　where　he　sees　it　would　be　lost；　and　by　this　meanes　all　beneficence；　and　trust；　together　with　all　kind　of　benevolence　would　be　taken　from　among　men；　neither　would　there　be　ought　of　mutuall　assistance　among　them；　nor　any　commencement　of　gaining　grace　and　favour。　by　reason　whereof　the　state　of　Warre　would　necessarily　remain；　contrary　to　the　fundamentall　Law　of　Nature：　But　because　the　breach　of　this　Law　is　not　a　breach　of　trust；　or　contract；　（for　we　suppose　no　Contracts　to　have　pass'd　among　them）　therefore　is　it　not　usually　termed　an　iniury；　but　because　good　turns　and　thankes　have　a　mutuall　eye　to　each　other；　it　is　called　INGRATITUDE。　　　　　IX。The　fourth　precept　of　Nature；　is；　That　every　man　render　himself　usefull　unto　others：　which；　that　we　may　rightly　understand；　we　must　remember　that　there　is　in　men；　a　diversity　of　dispositions　to　enter　into　society；　arising　from　the　diversity　of　their　affections；　not　unlike　that　which　is　found　in　stones；　brought　together　in　the　Building；　by　reason　of　the　diversity　of　their　matter；　and　figure。　For　as　a　stone；　which　in　regard　of　its　sharp　and　angular　form　takes　up　more　room　from　other　stones　then　it　fils　up　it　selfe；　neither　because　of　the　hardnesse　of　its　matter　cannot　well　be　prest　together；　or　easily　cut；　and　would　hinder　the　building　from　being　fitly　compacted；　is　cast　away；　as　not　fit　for　use：　so　a　man；　who　for　the　harshness　of　his　disposition　in　retaining　superfluities　for　himself；　and　detaining　of　necessaries　from　others；　and　being　incorrigible；　by　reason　of　the　stubbornnesse　of　his　affections；　is　commonly　said　to　be　uselesse；　and　troublesome　unto　others。　Now；　because　each　one　not　by　Right　onely；　but　even　by　naturall　necessity　is　suppos'd；　with　all　his　main　might；　to　intend　the　procurement　of　those　things　which　are　necessary　to　his　own　preservation；　if　any　man　will　contend　on　the　other　side　for　superfluities；　by　his　default　there　will　arise　a　Warre；　because　that　on　him　alone　there　lay　no　necessity　of　contending；　he　therefore　acts　against　the　fundamentall　Law　of　Nature：　Whence　it　followes　（which　wee　were　to　shew）　that　it　is　a　precept　of　nature；　That　every　man　accommodate　himselfe　to　others。　But　he　who　breaks　this　Law　may　be　called　uselesse；　and　troublesome。　Yet　Cicero　opposeth　inhumanity　to　this　usefulnesse；　as　having　regard　to　this　very　Law。　　　　　X。　The　fift　precept　of　the　Law　of　nature　is：　That　we　must　forgive　him　who　repents；　and　asketh　pardon　for　what　is　past；　having　first　taken　caution　for　the　time　to　come。　The　pardon　of　what　is　past；　or　the　remission　of　an　offence；　is　nothing　else　but　the　granting　of　Peace　to　him　that　asketh　it；　after　he　hath　warr'd　against　us；　&　now　is　become　penitent。　But　Peace　granted　to　him　that　repents　not；　that　is；　to　him　that　retains　an　hostile　mind；　or　that　gives　not　caution　for　the　future；　that　is；　seeks　not　Peace；　but　oportunity；　is　not　properly　Peace　but　feare；　and　therefore　is　not　commanded　by　nature。　Now　to　him　that　will　not　pardon　the　penitent；　and　that　gives　future　caution；　peace　it　selfe　it　seems　is　not　pleasing；　which　is　contrary　to　the　naturall　Law。　　　　　XI。　The　sixth　precept　of　the　naturall　Law　is；　That　in　revenge。　and　punishments　we　must　have　our　eye　not　at　the　evill　past；　but　the　future　good。　That　is：　It　is　not　lawfull　to　inflict　punishment　for　any　other　end；　but　that　the　offender　may　be　corrected；　or　that　others　warned　by　his　punishment　may　become　better。　But　this　is　confirmed　chiefly　from　hence；　that　each　man　is　bound　by　the　law　of　nature　to　forgive　one　another；　provided　he　give　caution　for　the　future；　as　hath　been　shewed　in　the　foregoing　Article。　Furthermore；　because　revenge；　if　the　time　past　be　onely　considered；　is　nothing　else　but　a　certain　triumph；　and　glory　of　minde；　which　points　at　no　end；　（for　it　contemplates　onely　what　is　past；　but　the　end　is　a　thing　to　come）　but　that　which　is　directed　to　no　end　is　vain；　That　revenge　therefore　which　regards　not　the　future；　proceeds　from　vaine　glory；　and　therefore　without　reason。　But　to　hurt　another　without　reason　introduces　a　warre；　and　is　contrary　to　the　fundamentall　Law　of　Nature；　It　is　therefore　a　precept　of　the　Law　of　nature；　that　in　revenge　wee　look　not　backwards　but　forward。　Now　the　breach　of　this　Law；　is　commonly　called　CRUELTY。　　　　　XII。　But　because　all　signes　of　hatred；　and　contempt　provoke　most　of　all　to　brawling　and　fighting；　insomuch　as　most　men　would　rather　lose　their　lives；　（that　I　say　not　their　Peace）　then　suffer　reproach；　it　followes　in　the　seventh　place；　That　it　is　prescribed　by　the　Law　of　nature；　that　no　man　either　by　deeds；　or　words；　countenance；　or　laughter；　doe　declare　himselfe　to　hate；　or　scorne　another。　The　breach　of　which　Law　is　called　Reproach。　But　although　nothing　be　more　frequent　then　the　scoffes　and　je