Whether such a Condition of human Nature could ever exist, or if it did, could continue so long as to merit the Appellation of a State, may justly be doubted. Men are necessarily born in a Family-society, at least; and are train'd up by their Parents to some Rule of Conduct and Behaviour. But this must be admitted, that if such a State of mutual War and Violence was ever real, the Suspension of all Laws of Justice, from their absolute Inutility, is a necessary and infallible Consequence.
The more we vary our Views of human Life, and the newer and more unusual the Lights are, in which we survey it, the more shall we be convinc'd, that the Origin here assign'd for the Virtue of Justice is real and satisfactory.
Were there a Species of Creatures, intermingled with Men, which, tho' rational, were possest of such
transduxerunt. Tum res ad communem utilitatem, quas publicas appellamus, tum conventicula bominum; quæ postea civitates nominatæ sunt, tum domicilia conjuncta, quas urbes dicamus, invente & divino & humano jure, mænibus sepserunt. Atque inter hanc vitam; perpolitam humanitate, & illam immanem, nibil tam interest quam JUS atque VIS. Horum utro uti nolimus, altero est utendum; Vim volumus extingui? Jus valeat necesse est, id est, judicia, quibus omne jus continetur. Judicia displicent, aut nulla sunt? vis dominetur necesse est ? Hæc vident omnes. Pro Sext. I. 42.
inferior
