their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds
of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will
of any other man.

A state also of equality, wherein all the power and jurisdiction is
reciprocal, no one having more than another; there being nothing more
evident, than that creatures of the same species and rank, promiscuously
born to all the same advantages of nature, and the use of the same
faculties, should also be equal one amongst another without
subordination or subjection, unless the lord and master of them all
should, by any manifest declaration of his will, set one above another,
and confer on him, by an evident and clear appointment, an undoubted
right to dominion and sovereignty.

Sect. 5. This equality of men by nature, the judicious Hooker looks upon
as so evident in itself, and beyond all question, that he makes it the
foundation of that obligation to mutual love amongst men, on which he
builds the duties they owe one another, and from whence he derives the
great maxims of justice and charity. His words are,

/#
The like natural inducement hath brought men to know that it is no
less their duty, to love others than themselves; for seeing those
things which are equal, must needs all have one measure; if I
cannot but wish to receive good, even as much at every man's hands,
as any man can wish unto his own soul, how should I look to have
any part of my desire herein satisfied, unless myself be careful to
satisfy the like desire, which is undoubtedly in other men, being
of one and the same nature? To have any thing offered them
repugnant to this desire, must needs in all respects grieve them as
much as me; so that if I do harm, I must look to suffer, there
being no reason that others should shew greater measure of love to
me, than they have by me shewed unto them: my desire therefore to
be loved of my equals in nature as much as possible may be,
imposeth upon me a natural duty of bearing to them-ward fully the
like affection; from which relation of equality between ourselves
and them that are as ourselves, what several rules and canons
natural reason hath drawn, for direction of life, no man is
ignorant, Eccl. Pol. Lib. 1.

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Sect. 6. But though this be a state of liberty, yet it is not a state of
licence: though man in that state have an uncontroulable liberty to
dispose