preserve itself, much less natural things, but it would itself, in order
to continue to exist, have need of the same power which it needed to be
created.

3. From this fact therefore, that is, that the power whereby natural
things exist and operate is the very power of God itself, we easily
understand what natural right is. For as God has a right to everything,
and God's right is nothing else, but his very power, as far as the
latter is considered to be absolutely free; it follows from this, that
every natural thing has by nature as much right, as it has power to
exist and operate; since the natural power of every natural thing,
whereby it exists and operates, is nothing else but the power of God,
which is absolutely free.

4. And so by natural right I understand the very laws or rules of
nature, in accordance with which everything takes place, in other words,
the power of nature itself. And so the natural right of universal
nature, and consequently of every individual thing, extends as far as
its power: and accordingly, whatever any man does after the laws of his
nature, he does by the highest natural right, and he has as much right
over nature as he has power.

5. If then human nature had been so constituted, that men should live
according to the mere dictate of reason, and attempt nothing
inconsistent therewith, in that case natural right, considered as
special to mankind, would be determined by the power of reason only. But
men are more led by blind desire, than by reason: and therefore the
natural power or right of human beings should be limited, not by reason,
but by every appetite, whereby they are determined to action, or seek
their own preservation. I, for my part, admit, that those desires, which
arise not from reason, are not so much actions as passive affections of
man. But as we are treating here of the universal power or right of
nature, we cannot here recognize any distinction between desires, which
are engendered in us by reason, and those which are engendered by other
causes; since the latter, as much as the former, are effects of nature,
and display the natural impulse, by which man strives to continue in
existence. For man, be he learned or ignorant, is part of nature, and
everything, by which any man is determined to action, ought to be
referred to the power of nature, that is, to that power, as it is
limited by the nature of this or that man. For man, whether guided by
reason or mere desire, does nothing save in accordance with the laws and
rules of nature, that is, by natural right. (Section 4.)

6. But most people believe, that the ignorant rather disturb than follow
the course of nature, and conceive of mankind, in nature as of one
dominion within another. For they maintain, that the human mind is
produced by no natural causes, but created directly by God, and is so
independent of other things, that it has an absolute power to determine
itself, and make a right use of reason. Experience, however, teaches us
but too well, that it is no more in our power to have a sound mind, than
a sound body. Next, inasmuch as everything whatever, as far as in it
lies, strives to preserve its own existence, we cannot at all doubt,
that, were it as much in our power to live after the dictate of reason,
as to be led by blind desire, all would be led by reason, and order
their lives wisely; which is very far from being the case. For

     "Each is attracted by his own delight." [4]

Nor do divines remove this difficulty, at least not by deciding, that
the cause of this want of power is a vice or sin in human nature,
deriving its origin from our first parents' fall. For if it was even in
the first man's power as much to stand as to fall, and he was in
possession of his senses, and had his nature unimpaired, how could it
be, that he fell in spite of his knowledge and foresight? But they say,
that he was deceived by the devil. Who then was it, that deceived the
devil himself? Who, I say, so maddened the very being that excelled all
other created intelligences, that he wished to be greater than God? For
was not his effort too, supposing him of sound mind, to preserve himself
and his existence, as far as in him lay? Besides, how could it happen,
that the first man himself, being in his senses, and master of his own
will, should be led astray, and suffer himself to be taken mentally
captive? For if he had the power to make a right use of reason, it was
not possible for him to be deceived, for as far as in him lay, he of
necessity strove to preserve his existence and his soundness of mind.
But the hypothesis is, that he had this in his power; therefore he of
necessity maintained his soundness of mind, and could not be deceived.
But this from his history, is known to be false. And, accordingly, it
must be admitted, that it was not in the first man's power to make a
right use of reason, but that, like us, he was subject to passions.

7. But that man, like other beings, as far as in him lies, strives to
preserve his existence, no one can deny. For if any distinction could be
conceived on this point, it must arise from man's having a free will.
But the freer we conceived man to be, the more we should be forced to
maintain, that he must of necessity preserve his existence and be in
possession of his senses; as anyone will easily grant me, that does not
confound liberty with contingency. For liberty is a virtue, or
excellence. Whatever, therefore, convicts a man of weakness cannot be
ascribed to his liberty. And so man can by no means be called free,
because he is able not to exist or not to use his reason, but only in so
far as he preserves the power of existing and operating according to the
laws of human nature. The more, therefore, we consider man to be free,
the less we can say, that he can neglect to use reason, or choose evil
in preference to good; and, therefore, God, who exists in absolute
liberty, also understands and operates of necessity, that is, exists,
understands, and operates according to the necessity of his own nature.
For there is no doubt, that God operates by the same liberty whereby he
exists. As then he exists by the necessity of his own nature, by the
necessity of his own nature also he acts, that is, he acts with absolute
liberty.