The most excellent Hugo Grotius, his three books treating of the rights of war & peace in the first is handled, whether any war be just : in the second is shewed, the causes of war, both just and unjust : in the third is declared, what in war is lawful, that is, unpunishable : with the annotations digested into the body of every chapter / translated into English by William Evats ...

XVII. When only to curb the power of a Neighbour Prince unlaw∣ful.

Neither can we approve of that which some Authors do affirm for truth; namely, That by the Law of Nations, it is a sufficient ground of a Just War, to suppress the over-swel∣ling Power of some ambitious Prince, who if let alone, may exceedingly annoy us. That in our ordinary Councils of War,* 1.1 this usually comes in debate, I grant. But not so much under this Notion, because it is Just, but as it is profitable: So that in case the War

for other causes be Just; for this cause it may prudentially be undertaken: And this is all that the Authors before cited do in effect say. But from a meer possibility, that we may hereafter suffer wrong, to conclude a present Right, or a necessity of doing wrong, will prove no good Inference in a Court of Equity.* 1.2 For all humane affairs are obnoxius to so many contingencies, that no security can be expected in this life. Against all un∣certain and Ignote dangers, our safety consists not in our Arms, but in our Innoxious prudence, co operating with the Divine Providence.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Alb. Gent. lib. 1. c. 14.
• * 1.2

  Bal. lib. 3. de rer. divis.