Justice vindicated from the false fucus [i.e. focus] put upon it, by [brace] Thomas White gent., Mr. Thomas Hobbs, and Hugo Grotius as also elements of power & subjection, wherein is demonstrated the cause of all humane, Christian, and legal society : and as a previous introduction to these, is shewed, the method by which men must necessarily attain arts & sciences / by Roger Coke.

The Seventh GROUND.

Why Men desire to live in Community, and of the necessity of Government.

Author. HEre our Author tells us First, It is fit to understand why Men desire to live in Flocks and Multitudes.

Observ. Now would I know of our Author, what these Men are, and where to be found, who desire to live so? Or when did Men ever in the World in any place, either live, or desire to live so? Indeed it is a received opinion, that Man is born a living Creature, apt and fit for society; the Greeks called him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, but indeed no Man does naturally desire the society, company or conversation of another Man, be∣cause he is a Man; and therefore Men do not, nor ever did live promiscu∣ously in flocks and multitudes (as our Author saies) without subordination one under another; but in any the meanest and most contemptible Family that ever was, the company are not all alike to one another, as those are which live in flocks and herds, &c. But because no Infant can live, nor any Man live well without the help of another, naturally there is in every Man a solitude how to live, and so to live that his living be not a burden, or troublesom to him. Man does not therefore desire the company or society of others as men (for then he would desire the company and society of all men alike, of Good, of Bad, of Vertuous, of Vicious, of Servants and Vile, as well as Noble and Generous) but accidentally as expecting Profit, Honor, Knowledge, &c. from him or them with whom he consorts or associates himself. And therefore on the Exchange, in Faires, Markets, &c. Men do not Meet so as only to see one another, and to make up such a Herd, for then they would meet in other places as well as there, but that from their buying and selling and their exchanging of Merchandise, they may derive from thence profit to themselves. It is an admirable thing to see what a strange Ingenuity there is in those men, in acquiring those things from other places, which Nature (by the steri∣lity, negation, &c. of their own Country, (for Non omnis fert omnia tellus,)

hath deprived them of, above those Men who abound in their own, and are careless to seek to supply their defects from otherwhere; as we see in Holland and Zealand, the Corn, Butter, and Cheese made in both those Provinces will not maintain the twentieth part of the Inhabitants: yet when did ever any man here in England see Corne, &c. dear, but we were supplied from thence? and what place in the World is there, which though above twenty times bigger then both those Provinces, is equal to them in shipping, and yet have scarce a stick of wood growing in either?

And men prefer that society wherein they suppose themselves honored and esteemed, before that wherein they think themselves slighted and neg∣lected; and where Youth and Vigor do abound, there Men seek to them who will consort to them in Hunting, Hawking, Shooting, &c. as they affect this and that for their exercise: And vitious Men will endeavor to find out such society as will excite and accompany them in those vices to which they are prone: And because only Ingenious Men Philosophize, there∣fore Ingenious Men will not willingly consort themselves, but with them from whom they expect either to learn, or to be esteemed more Ingenious or more learned then any in the company; For naturally every Man de∣sires that from conversing with another, he may draw more Profit, more Honor, more Pleasure, more Learning, &c. to himself; and when he has so done, he is so far from being satisfied therewith, that he be∣takes himself to solitariness how to increase what he has got into more, which no other creatures which live in companies doe, but when they have eaten up all in one place, seek where they may devoure it in ano∣ther.

Author. Our Author goes on and tells us, The first community is of Man and Wife,

Observ. Our Author is the first man that ever I heard of who desired to hold his Wife in common.

Author. Our Author afterward tells us, That the first Origine of Mens meet∣ing and living together, is, that Men are most burthensome to themselves when they are alone, and seek company to divert themselves, so to elude the length of time.

Observ. So that he who cannot tell what to do, but is a burthen to himself, may keep company with our Author so to foole away the time. I have seen many Chandlers Bills with all Items in them, but never saw any Section mangled with three Firsts altogether, but here in our Author.

Author. Now our Author is got loose from his Firsts, and arrived at the next, which is, That God and Nature have so managed mankind, that no one has of himself as much as he desires, but regularly aboundeth in one kind of goods, and wants some other which his neighbour has.

Observ. Now, who is he of whom our Author speaks? Why, one of his rati∣onal multitude (as he calls them by and by) before they have chosen a Trustee; what's here to doe? Why his rational multitude have all things in common one with another, no one abounds in any one thing more then another, but are like swine feeding, eating, and promiscuously herding together, or a kennel of Hounds devouring a dead Horse, who have it all in common, yet no Dog any more right to any piece of the Horse than another, but as he gets it and eats it.

Author. In the third place comes Fear: For he that finds himself stored with those

things which he and others love, is subject to feare those whom he suspects able to bereave him of them, and so seeks company of friends for protection.

Observ. Now would I fain know of our Author, how this Man of his Rational Multitude came by these things, he so fears to lose? Why, has not any of his Multitude as much Right to them as he? Sure he must have sur∣reptitiously cheated or stollen them from the rest of the Rational Multi∣tude, for I cannot see what other Right he can have to them; It may be though it is not too Meaphysical a nicety for a Moral Treatise, and our Author can resolve you; and let the Reader read on and see, how he prefers the passion of Love before that of Feare, which he saies agrees both with Philosophy and Morality,

Author. Now our Author got within sight of Land, there's now nothing want∣ing but that the Rational Multitude name their Trustee, who ought rather to be a good and a wise Man, then a Foole and Knave, and our Authors Go∣vernment is perfect; yet for feare lest no Man but should understand it, in conclusion he tells you, You see Government is naturally a Power of di∣recting the Common Affaires of the Multitude, by a voluntary submission of the Communities wills to their Governors.

Observ. Now will I be burnt if ever any Man proclaimed himself such a Cocks∣comb as our Author does all along this ground; In his Three Firsts, then in his holding his Wife in Common, in his Care and Feare for the goods of the Individuals of his Rational multitude, who possibly could have none at all, and now by the giving up of theirs to the will of their Governor, which thing (Ground 4.) he cannot see how it can be pleasing to God, * 1.1 nay he tells you, 'tis like a Mans mangling himself, or Origens guelding himself, or Simeon Styletes chaining himself to a Hill, that he might not go thence for Gods sake: But it may be our Author has a help at Mawe; for our Author Ground 8. saies, It is evident by this Resignation of the Peoples will, the Magistrate receives such an activity and power, as he has explicated before, did arise out of a mans promise to his Neighbor. So then, a Man may mangle himself, Origen may gueld himself, and Simeon Styletes may chain himself up to a Hill, though not for Gods sake, yet so far as it does arise from their promise to their Neighbor.

Observ. But unless a Man should affect mistaking; I think of all men, our Author is most accursed to it; for now he makes his Rational Multitude a people, when they have made their Trustee or Supreme Governor; whereas, other Men alwaies understood by the people, them who had assumed the Supreame Power in them; As when a Man saies, the People of Athens or Rome, he meanes them in whom the pretended Supreame Power was, and by the Multitude he means, them in whom the Supreame Power was not.

Author. Now is our weary Trojan arrived at his wished shore, having sung his Paean and erected a Trophy, says, No moderate and discreet person can doubt, but a Government so ordered, is both necessary and connatural to a rational mul∣titude, and in a word, such as Humane nature requires, and is the best, if not the onely that sutes to the disposition of freemen and prudent.

Observ. Yet sure, if after all this glorious boast, this Peacock but looks upon his feet, he will let fall his tail; for his Second Ground is, That the nature of Man reacheth not to the perfection of Government: But what does our Author here mean by Freemen? if by Freemen he understands men free to do what they list, then our Author leaves them as he found them, and has done

nothing at all; but if these Freemen be subject to their Trustee so far as he apprehends it fit and necessary for the good of the Commonwealth, then I believe we shall finde them as very slaves as any our Author (Ground 9.) makes: So that after all this ado, our Author has made a multitude of slaves, or he has made nothing at all.

And thus hath our Author endeavored to shew, why men desire to live in Community, viz. By having nothing common at all.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pag. 24.