Page:A discourse upon the origin and foundation of the inequality among mankind (IA discourseuponori00rous).pdf/58

ture impoſes upon herſelf than that which ſhe preſcribes to others; or, more probably, on Account of the particular Acceptation of the Word, Law, among theſe Juriſconſults, who, on this Occaſion, ſeem to have underſtood nothing more by it, than the general Relations, eſtabliſhed by Nature between all animated Beings for the ſake of their common Preſervation. The Moderns, by not admitting any thing to rank under the word Law but a Rule preſcribed to a moral Being, that is to ſay, a Being intelligent, free, and conſidered with a View to his Relations to other Beings, muſt of courſe confine to the only Animal endowed with Reaſon, that is, to Man, the Competency of the natural Law; but then, by defining this Law, every one of them his own Way, they eſtabliſh it on ſuch Metaphyſical Principles, that ſo far from being able to find out theſe Principles of themſelves, there are very few Perſons among us ca-