Part VIIL

■ mull be a fimple Office. The Addition oi jujily makes it ileftitude, the fimple Reftitution y/itliQnt the additional term, is an Office.
Cic.de fin. (d) And fince it is not to be doubted, but that 3. in mean things, fome are to be performed, o-
thers rejefted, whatfoever is done in that man¬ ner, is comprehended in com mon Office • whence it is manifeff, that all men by nature loving tliemfeives, as well the foolifli as the wife, will ■ ' take thofe things which are according toNature,
■ and ixjeft the contrary. This is therefore one Common Office of the wife and nnwife, conver- fant in mean things.
All Offices proceeding from thefe, it is juflly faid, that to thofe are referred all our thoughts, eyen the forfaking of Life, or continuing in it. In whom moft things are according to Nature, the Office of that Eerfon is to remain in Life ^ in whom there are, or are forefeen to be more things contrary to Nature, his Offices is to forfake Life, altho’ he be happy, and of a fool to conti¬ nue in Life, altho’ he be miferable • for that good, and that ill, as we have often faid, are things that follow afterwards. The firft Princi¬ ples of natural Appetite, fall under the Judgment and Eledion of a wife Man, and is as it were the matter fubjeded to Wifdom. Thus the reafon of continuing Life, or forfaking it, is to be mea- fured by ail thofe things we mentioned. For, neither are they who enjoy Vertiie, obliged to continue in Life, nor they who live without Vir¬ tue to Die ^ and it is often the Office of a wife Man, to part with his Life, even when he is moft happy, if it may be done opportunely, which is to live conveniently to Nature. This they hold, that to live happily, depends on opportunity for Wifdom commandeth, that a wife Man, if it be required, fhould part with his Life. Where¬ fore Vice having not Power to bring a caufe ofvo- luntary Death, it is manifeft, that the Office even of Fools, who are likewife wretched, is to con¬ tinue in Life, if they are in the greater part of thofe things, wffiich we hold to be according to Nature. And fbrafmuch as going out of Life, and continuing in it, be alike miferable, neither doth continuance make his Life more to be avoid¬ ed ; we fay not therefore without caufe, that they who enjoy moft Naturals, fhould continue in Life.
Hitherto it appertains to know, that the love of Parents towards their Children is theeffeft of 'Nature, from which beginning we may track all Mankind, as proceeding from thence. Firft, by the Figure and Parts of the Body, which de¬ clare, that Nature carefully provided for Pro¬ creation. Neither can thefe two agree, that Nature orders Procreation, and takes no care that thofe which are procreated fhould be loved : For even in Beafts the Power of Nature may be feen, whofe care when we behold in bringing up of their Young, methinks we hear the very Voice of Nature her felf. Wherefore as it is manifeft that we abhor Pain by Nature, fo it is likewife apparent, that we are driven by Nature to Love thofe we have begotten.
Hence arifeth a common natural Commenda¬ tion of Men amongft Men, that it behoveth a Man not to feem alienate from Man, for this ve¬ ry Reafon, becaufehe is Man. For, as among the Parts of the Body^ fome arc made only for
themfelvcs, as the Eyes and Ears:^ others affift towards the ufe of other Parts, as the Thighs and Hands: fo, tho’ fome huge Beafts are born only for themfelvcs ; yet, that Sheil-Fiffi which is called firhiia^ and the Ftnnoteres^ fo
named from keeping its Shell, wffiich Ihutteth it felf up fo clofe, as if it taught others to look to ’* themfelvcs ^ as alfo Ants, Bees, Storks, do fome- thing for the fake of others. Much nearer is the Conjunction of Mankind-, fo that we are in¬ clined by Nature to Conventions, Counfels, Ci¬ ties.
(e) Whatfoever is produced upon the Earth, CO is created for the ufe of Man-, but Men are ge¬ nerated for Men’^that they may pro^t one ano¬ ther. In this' we ought, to follow Nature our Leader, and to bring forth common benefit to thepublickby mutual Offices, by Oivi'ng, by Receiving, by Arts, by Endeavours, and by Faculties, to unite the Society of Man with Man.
(f) The World is governed by the Power of (f) ck. di God ^ it is as it were, a common City of Men^«/^'3' and Gods, and each ofusisa partofthe World ; whence is follovireth by Nature, that we Ihould
prefer the common Benefit befor'C' bilr own.
For as F.awsprefer tne fafetyofthe general be¬ fore that of any particu’ar •, fo a good and v ’ .
M m, confer m:ble to Lavv, not ignorsht'd;' C' ’ ’
Office, taketh more care for the Eerfefifto ' general, than of any particular, orb'f 'fiT- • 0,
Nor is he who betrays hiis Gorintry ’ condemned, than be who ct^.f. : is l ■ c or; 0 Benefit or Safety. -Whence itiofowei ■ 3.1 h
is to be commended who undergoet-’ 1 .:■! the Commonwealth, and teacheih -u , d : r
Country is dearer to us than our felves. A • 1 1 - caufe that Speech is efteemed inliumpqc : . wicked of thofe who affirm. They care not vd . 1 ^they are dead, if all the Earth were fet on Eire:, it is certainly true, that we are likewdfo tp pre-^ vide for thofe who fiiall hereafter be, 'b.'i:n for their owm fake. From this Aft -Hion of the Soul, whence proceed Wills and Commendations of dying Perfons, as alfo, forafmnch as no Min' will live Solitary in a Defart,even with the great-’, • eft abundance or plenty ^ it is eafily underltood that v/e are born for Conjunfilion, Congregation, or natural Community^we are impelled byNature to benefit others the moft that we can. All thefe are Offices, chiefly by teaching and communi¬ cating the Reafons of Prudence, fo that it is not eafieto find one, who will not communicate to fome other what he knoweth himfclf. Thus wc are not only inclined to learn, but alfo to teach.
And as it is given to Bulls by Nature, to light even with Lions, for their Heifers, with great force and impetuolity • fo they w'ho abound in . ,
Wealth, and are able to do itfas is related of Hercules znd. Bacchus) are incited by Nature ■ to pftferve Mankind. Likewife, when Jupiter isftii’d (Xptimus'^cA Maximus ^Salut arts ^ HofpP. talis^ 'Stator^ we hereby exprefs that the fafety of Mankind is under his Tuition. • But .yve can¬ not expcH, if we our felves arc vile, abje£V, and neglcHed amongft our felves,. that we fhould be , ...
dear to the immortal Gods, and loved of them. . ■ ' ;* '
As therefore we make ufe of our Limbs, before that we have learnt for what caufe of .Utility \
we have them ^ fo nre we conjoined 'and' con- T C fociated
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ZENO.