Others，thatallowforalawofnaturethekeepingoffaith，doneverthelessmakeexceptionofcertainpersons；asheretics，andsuchasusenottoperformtheircovenanttoothers；andthisalsoisagainstreason。Forifanyfaultofamanbesufficienttodischargeourcovenantmade，thesameoughtinreasontohavebeensufficienttohavehinderedthemakingofit。
Thenamesofjustandunjustwhentheyareattributedtomen，signifyonething，andwhentheyareattributedtoactions，another。
Whentheyareattributedtomen，theysignifyconformity，orinconformityofmanners，toreason。Butwhentheyareattributedtoactiontheysignifytheconformity，orinconformitytoreason，notofmanners，ormanneroflife，butofparticularactions。Ajustmanthereforeishethattakethallthecarehecanthathisactionsmaybealljust；andanunjustmanishethatneglectethit。Andsuchmenaremoreofteninourlanguagestyledbythenamesofrighteousandunrighteousthanjustandunjustthoughthemeaningbethesame。
Thereforearighteousmandoesnotlosethattitlebyoneorafewunjustactionsthatproceedfromsuddenpassion，ormistakeofthingsorpersons，nordoesanunrighteousmanlosehischaracterforsuchactionsashedoes，orforbearstodo，forfear：becausehiswillisnotframedbythejustice，butbytheapparentbenefitofwhatheistodo。Thatwhichgivestohumanactionstherelishofjusticeisacertainnoblenessorgallantnessofcourage，rarelyfound，bywhichamanscornstobebeholdingforthecontentmentofhislifetofraud，orbreachofpromise。Thisjusticeofthemannersisthatwhichismeantwherejusticeiscalledavirtue；andinjustice，avice。
Butthejusticeofactionsdenominatesmen，notjust，butguiltless：
andtheinjusticeofthesamewhichisalsocalledinjurygivesthembutthenameofguilty。
Again，theinjusticeofmannersisthedispositionoraptitudetodoinjury，andisinjusticebeforeitproceedtoact，andwithoutsupposinganyindividualpersoninjured。Buttheinjusticeofanactionthatistosay，injurysupposethanindividualpersoninjured；namelyhimtowhomthecovenantwasmade：andthereforemanytimestheinjuryisreceivedbyonemanwhenthedamageredoundethtoanother。Aswhenthemastercommandethhisservanttogivemoneytostranger；ifitbenotdone，theinjuryisdonetothemaster，whomhehadbeforecovenantedtoobey；butthedamageredoundethtothestranger，towhomhehadnoobligation，andthereforecouldnotinjurehim。AndsoalsoinCommonwealthsprivatemenmayremittooneanothertheirdebts，butnotrobberiesorotherviolences，wherebytheyareendamaged；becausethedetainingofdebtisaninjurytothemselves，butrobberyandviolenceareinjuriestothepersonoftheCommonwealth。
Whatsoeverisdonetoaman，conformabletohisownwillsignifiedtothedoer，isnotinjurytohim。Forifhethatdoethithathnotpassedawayhisoriginalrighttodowhathepleasebysomeantecedentcovenant，thereisnobreachofcovenant，andthereforenoinjurydonehim。Andifhehave，thenhiswilltohaveitdone，beingsignified，isareleaseofthatcovenant，andsoagainthereisnoinjurydonehim。
Justiceofactionsisbywritersdividedintocommutativeanddistributive：andtheformertheysayconsistethinproportionarithmetical；thelatterinproportiongeometrical。Commutative，therefore，theyplaceintheequalityofvalueofthethingscontractedfor；anddistributive，inthedistributionofequalbenefittomenofequalmerit。Asifitwereinjusticetoselldearerthanwebuy，ortogivemoretoamanthanhemerits。Thevalueofallthingscontractedforismeasuredbytheappetiteofthecontractors，andthereforethejustvalueisthatwhichtheybecontentedtogive。Andmeritbesidesthatwhichisbycovenant，wheretheperformanceononepartmeriteththeperformanceoftheotherpart，andfallsunderjusticecommutative，notdistributiveisnotduebyjustice，butisrewardedofgraceonly。Andthereforethisdistinction，inthesensewhereinitusethtobeexpounded，isnotright。Tospeakproperly，commutativejusticeisthejusticeofacontractor；thatis，aperformanceofcovenantinbuyingandselling，hiringandlettingtohire，lendingandborrowing，exchanging，bartering，andotheractsofcontract。
Anddistributivejustice，thejusticeofanarbitrator；thatistosay，theactofdefiningwhatisjust。Wherein，beingtrustedbythemthatmakehimarbitrator，ifheperformhistrust，heissaidtodistributetoeverymanhisown：andthisisindeedjustdistribution，andmaybecalled，thoughimproperly，distributivejustice，butmoreproperlyequity，whichalsoisalawofnature，asshallbeshownindueplace。
Asjusticedependethonantecedentcovenant；sodoesgratitudedependonantecedentgrace；thatistosay，antecedentfreegift；
andisthefourthlawofnature，whichmaybeconceivedinthisform：thatamanwhichreceivethbenefitfromanotherofmeregraceendeavourthathewhichgivethithavenoreasonablecausetorepenthimofhisgoodwill。Fornomangivethbutwithintentionofgoodtohimself，becausegiftisvoluntary；andofallvoluntaryacts，theobjectistoeverymanhisowngood；ofwhichifmenseetheyshallbefrustrated，therewillbenobeginningofbenevolenceortrust，norconsequentlyofmutualhelp，norofreconciliationofonemantoanother；andthereforetheyaretoremainstillintheconditionofwar，whichiscontrarytothefirstandfundamentallawofnaturewhichcommandethmentoseekpeace。Thebreachofthislawiscalledingratitude，andhaththesamerelationtogracethatinjusticehathtoobligationbycovenant。
Afifthlawofnatureiscomplaisance；thatistosay，thateverymanstrivetoaccommodatehimselftotherest。Fortheunderstandingwhereofwemayconsiderthatthereisinmen’saptnesstosocietyadiversityofnature，risingfromtheirdiversityofaffections，notunliketothatweseeinstonesbroughttogetherforbuildingofanedifice。Forasthatstonewhichbytheasperityandirregularityoffiguretakesmoreroomfromothersthanitselffills，andforhardnesscannotbeeasilymadeplain，andtherebyhindereththebuilding，isbythebuilderscastawayasunprofitableandtroublesome：soalso，amanthatbyasperityofnaturewillstrivetoretainthosethingswhichtohimselfaresuperfluous，andtoothersnecessary，andforthestubbornnessofhispassionscannotbecorrected，istobeleftorcastoutofsocietyascumbersomethereunto。Forseeingeveryman，notonlybyright，butalsobynecessityofnature，issupposedtoendeavourallhecantoobtainthatwhichisnecessaryforhisconservation，hethatshallopposehimselfagainstitforthingssuperfluousisguiltyofthewarthatthereuponistofollow，andthereforedoththatwhichiscontrarytothefundamentallawofnature，whichcommandethtoseekpeace。Theobserversofthislawmaybecalledsociable，theLatinscallthemcommodi；thecontrary，stubborn，insociable，forward，intractable。
Asixthlawofnatureisthis：thatuponcautionofthefuturetime，amanoughttopardontheoffencespastofthemthat，repenting，desireit。Forpardonisnothingbutgrantingofpeace；whichthoughgrantedtothemthatpersevereintheirhostility，benotpeace，butfear；yetnotgrantedtothemthatgivecautionofthefuturetimeissignofanaversiontopeace，andthereforecontrarytothelawofnature。
Aseventhis：thatinrevengesthatis，retributionofevilforevil，menlooknotatthegreatnessoftheevilpast，butthegreatnessofthegoodtofollow。Wherebyweareforbiddentoinflictpunishmentwithanyotherdesignthanforcorrectionoftheoffender，ordirectionofothers。Forthislawisconsequenttothenextbeforeit，thatcommandethpardonuponsecurityofthefuturetime。Besides，revengewithoutrespecttotheexampleandprofittocomeisatriumph，orgloryinginthehurtofanother，tendingtonoendfortheendisalwayssomewhattocome；andgloryingtonoendisvain-glory，andcontrarytoreason；andtohurtwithoutreasontendethtotheintroductionofwar，whichisagainstthelawofnature，andiscommonlystyledbythenameofcruelty。
Andbecauseallsignsofhatred，orcontempt，provoketofight；
insomuchasmostmenchooserathertohazardtheirlifethannottoberevenged，wemayintheeighthplace，foralawofnature，setdownthisprecept：thatnomanbydeed，word，countenance，orgesture，declarehatredorcontemptofanother。Thebreachofwhichlawiscommonlycalledcontumely。
Thequestionwhoisthebettermanhasnoplaceintheconditionofmerenature，whereashasbeenshownbeforeallmenareequal。
Theinequalitythatnowishasbeenintroducedbythelawscivil。I
knowthatAristotleinthefirstbookofhisPolitics，forafoundationofhisdoctrine，makethmenbynature，somemoreworthytocommand，meaningthewisersort，suchashethoughthimselftobeforhisphilosophy；otherstoserve，meaningthosethathadstrongbodies，butwerenotphilosophersashe；asmasterandservantwerenotintroducedbyconsentofmen，butbydifferenceofwit：whichisnotonlyagainstreason，butalsoagainstexperience。Forthereareveryfewsofoolishthathadnotrathergovernthemselvesthanbegovernedbyothers：norwhenthewise，intheirownconceit，contendbyforcewiththemwhodistrusttheirownwisdom，dotheyalways，oroften，oralmostatanytime，getthevictory。Ifnaturethereforehavemademenequal，thatequalityistobeacknowledged：orifnaturehavemademenunequal，yetbecausementhatthinkthemselvesequalwillnotenterintoconditionsofpeace，butuponequalterms，suchequalitymustbeadmitted。Andthereforefortheninthlawofnature，Iputthis：thateverymanacknowledgeanotherforhisequalbynature。Thebreachofthispreceptispride。
Onthislawdependethanother：thatattheentranceintoconditionsofpeace，nomanrequiretoreservetohimselfanyrightwhichheisnotcontentshouldhereservedtoeveryoneoftherest。
Asitisnecessaryforallmenthatseekpeacetolaydowncertainrightsofnature；thatistosay，nottohavelibertytodoalltheylist，soisitnecessaryforman’slifetoretainsome：asrighttogoverntheirownbodies；enjoyair，water，motion，waystogofromplacetoplace；andallthingselsewithoutwhichamancannotlive，ornotlivewell。Ifinthiscase，atthemakingofpeace，menrequireforthemselvesthatwhichtheywouldnothavetobegrantedtoothers，theydocontrarytotheprecedentlawthatcommandeththeacknowledgementofnaturalequality，andthereforealsoagainstthelawofnature。Theobserversofthislawarethosewecallmodest，andthebreakersarrogantmen。TheGreekscalltheviolationofthislawpleonexia；thatis，adesireofmorethantheirshare。
Also，ifamanhetrustedtojudgebetweenmanandman，itisapreceptofthelawofnaturethathedealequallybetweenthem。Forwithoutthat，thecontroversiesofmencannotbedeterminedbutbywar。Hethereforethatispartialinjudgement，dothwhatinhimliestodetermenfromtheuseofjudgesandarbitrators，andconsequently，againstthefundamentallawofnature，isthecauseofwar。
Theobservanceofthislaw，fromtheequaldistributiontoeachmanofthatwhichinreasonbelongedtohim，iscalledequity，andasIhavesaidbeforedistributivejustice：theviolation，acceptionofpersons，prosopolepsia。
Andfromthisfollowethanotherlaw：thatsuchthingsascannothedividedbeenjoyedincommon，ifitcanbe；andifthequantityofthethingpermit，withoutstint；otherwiseproportionablytothenumberofthemthathaveright。Forotherwisethedistributionisunequal，andcontrarytoequity。