An Elegant and Learned Discourse of the Light of Nature

Chapter 10. Of the Consent of Nations

79 u chapter 10 u Of the Consent of Nations [72] Though Natures law be principally proclaim’d by the voyce of Reason; though it be sufficiently discover’d by the Candle of the Lord; yet there is also a secondary and additional way, which contributes no small light to the manifestation of it: I mean the harmony & joynt consent of Nations, who though there be no koinwnía nor sunjh́kh,1 no communion, nor commerce, nor compact between them, yet they do tacitly and spontaneously conspire in a dutiful observation of the most radical and fundamental Lawes of Nature. So that by this pleasant consort of theirs you may know that the same Nature did tune them all. When you see the same prints and impressions upon so many several Nations, you easily perceive that they were stampt eodem communi Sigillo, with the same publique Seal. When you see the very same seeds thrown in such different soyles, yet all encreasing and multiplying, budding and blossoming, branching out and enlarging themselves into some fruitful expressions; you know then that ’twas Natures hand, her bountiful & successful hand that scatter’d such Seminal Principles amongst them; you presently know that ’tis no enclosed way, ’tis a Via Regia [king’s highway], in which you meet with so many Travellers, such a concourse and confluence of People. Amongst many others, the learned Grotius is ful and expresse for searching out the Law of Nature in this manner. You shal hear his own words which he speaks in that excellent work of his, De jure Belli & Pacis: Esse aliquid juris Naturalis probari solet tum ab eo quod Prius est, tum ab eo quod Posterius; quarum probandi Rationum illa subtilior est, haec popularior. A Priori, si ostendatur Rei alicujus convenientia 80 chapter 10 aut disconvenientia Necessaria cum Natura Rationali ac Sociali. A posteriori vero, si non certissima fide, certe probabiliter admodum juris Naturalis esse colligitur id, quod apud gentes omnes, aut moraliores omnes tale esse creditur [It is usual to prove that something is according to the law of nature either a priori or a posteriori; of these methods of proof the former is more subtle, the latter more popular. The proof is a priori if it is shown that anything necessarily agrees or disagrees with a rational and social nature; it is a posteriori if it is concluded, not with absolute certainty, but very probably, that that accords with natural law which all nations, or at least the more civilized nations, believe accords with it]. And he does annex this [73] reason of it; Universalis effectus, Universalem requirit causam2 [a universal effect requires a universal cause]. When you see such fresh springs and streams of Justice watering several Kingdoms and Nations, you know that they are participations of some rich Fountain, of a vast Ocean. When you see so many Rayes of the same light, shooting themselves into the several corners of the world, you presently look up to the Sun; as the glorious original of them all. Let me then a little vary that place in the Acts of the Apostles:3 you may hear every man in his own Language, in his own Dialect, and Idiom speaking the same works of Nature; Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia; in Pontus, in Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jewes and Proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, you may hear them speak in their Tongues the wonderful works of God and Nature. For whatsoever is Natural and Essential is also universal in order to such a Species. The Philosopher speaks to this very pertinently; To ’ me ’n fúsei a ◊kínhton, kai ’ pantaxou ÷ th ’n au ◊th ’n e ⁄xei dúnamin, w¤ sper to ’ pu ÷r kai ’ e ◊njáde kai ’ e ◊n Pérsaic kaíei;4 That is, whatsoever is Natural is immovable, and in the same manner perpetually energetical; as fire does not put on one colour amongst the Grecians, and paint its face otherwise amongst the Persians: but it has alwayes the same ruddinesse and purity, the same zeal and vehemency. As Nature shews choice variety and Needle-work in this, in that she works every Individuum with several flourishes, with some singular and of the consent of nations 81 distinguishing notes: So likewise she plainly aspires...