§. 4. Bened. Spinosa in Tractat. Theolog. polit. cap. 16. pag. 175, 176, &c. saith [ Jus naturae nihil aliud est quam, &c. The Right of Nature is nothing but the Rule by which every thing is determined to his manner of being and operation, as fishes are to swim, and the great ones to eat the little ones. That natural Right extendeth as far as power. That every Individual hath the Highest Right, to all things that he is able to do: That it is the chief Law of Nature, that every thing do its utmost to continue in its own state, having no respect to any other, but only to it self; ⟨p. 3⟩that here there is no difference between men and other things, nor between rational men, and Fools or mad men: that while men live under the Empire of nature only, they live by the only Laws of Appetite, and that by the highest Right: that the natural right of every man is not determined by sound reason, but by Lust and power: All being born ignorant, it being long before they know the true reason of living, and get the Habit of Virtue, though they have good education, they are no more bound this while to live by the Laws of a sound mind (or reason) than a Cat by the Laws of Lions. Whatsoever any such shall judge profitable to himself, either by guidance of sound reason, or by the force of affection, it is lawful for him by the highest right of nature to desire it and to take it, and that by force or fraud, or request, or by what other way he easiliest can; and to take him for his enemy that would hinder the fulfilling of his desire: so that the Right and Law of nature under which all are born, and for the most part live, forbiddeth nothing, but that which no man desireth and which no man can do, not contentions, not hatred, not wrath, not frauds. Whatsoever in Nature seems to us absurd, ridiculous or evil, is because we know things but in part. It is the universal Law of humane Nature, that no man neglect that which he judgeth good (for him) but in hope of a greater good, or the fear of greater damage; nor endure any evil but to avoid a greater, or in hope of greater good: that every man of two goods choose that which he thinks best (for him) and of two evils, that which he thinks least, be it so or not: and this is so firmly written in mans nature, that it is to be numbered with the eternal verities, which no man can be ignorant of.
§. 4. Bened. Spinosa in Tractat. Theolog. polit. cap. 16. pag. 175, 176, &c. saith [ Jus naturae nihil aliud est quam, &c. The Right of Nature is nothing but the Rule by which every thing is determined to his manner of being and operation, as fishes are to swim, and the great ones to eat the little ones. That natural Right extendeth as far as power. That every Individual hath the Highest Right, to all things that he is able to do: That it is the chief Law of Nature, that every thing do its utmost to continue in its own state, having no respect to any other, but only to it self; ⟨p. 3⟩that here there is no difference between men and other things, nor between rational men, and Fools or mad men: that while men live under the Empire of nature only, they live by the only Laws of Appetite, and that by the highest Right: that the natural right of every man is not determined by sound reason, but by Lust and power: All being born ignorant, it being long before they know the true reason of living, and get the Habit of Vertue, though they have good education, they are no more bound this while to live by the Laws of a sound mind (or reason) than a Cat by the Laws of Lions. Whatsoever any such shall judge profitable to himself, either by guidance of sound reason, or by the force of affection, it is lawful for him by the highest right of nature to desire it and to take it, and that by force or fraud, or request, or by what other way he easiliest can; and to take him for his enemy that would hinder the fulfilling of his desire: so that the Right and Law of nature under which all are born, and for the most part live, forbiddeth nothing, but that which no man desireth and which no man can do, not contentions, not hatred, not wrath, not frauds. Whatsoever in Nature seems to us absurd, ridiculous or evil, is because we know things but in part. It is the universal Law of humane Nature, that no man neglect that which he judgeth good (for him) but in hope of a greater good, or the fear of greater damage; nor endure any evil but to avoid a greater, or in hope of greater good: that every man of two goods choose that which he thinks best (for him) and of two evils, that which he thinks least, be it so or not: and this is so firmly written in mans nature, that it is to be numbred with the eternal verities, which no man can be ignorant of.
