The freedom of the seas : $b or, The right which belongs to the Dutch to take part in the East Indian tradeGrotius, Hugo
Philosophy
The freedom of the seas : $b or, The right which belongs to the Dutch to take part in the East Indian trade
Grotius, Hugo
Freedom of the seas; Law of the sea
Ista autem et Thomae et Concili Toletani et Gregori et Theologorum,
Canonistarum, Iurisprudentiumque fere omnium conclusio est:[40a]
Quantumcumque fides annuntiata sit Barbaris (nam de his qui
subditi ante fuerunt Christianis Principibus item de Apostatis
alia est quaestio) probabiliter et sufficienter, et si noluerint
eam respicere, non tamen licere hac ratione eos bello persequi, et
spoliare bonis suis.[41a]
Operae pretium est in hanc rem ipsa Caietani verba describere:[42a]
‘Quidam’, ait, ‘infideles nec de iure nec de facto subsunt secundum
temporalem iurisdictionem Principibus Christianis, ut inveniuntur
pagani, qui numquam imperio Romano subditi fuerunt, terras
habitantes, in quibus Christianum numquam fuit nomen. Horum namque
domini, quamvis infideles, legitimi domini sunt, sive regali sive
politico regimine gubernantur; nec sunt propter infidelitatem a
dominio suorum privati, cum dominium sit
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grounds of complaint. Nor is there any better justification for
the other pretext than the one alleged by the Greeks against the
barbarians, to which Boëthius makes the following allusion:
“_Unjust and cruel wars they wage,
And haste with flying darts the death to meet or deal.
No right nor reason can they show;
’Tis but because their lands and laws are not the same._”[39]
Moreover the verdict of Thomas Aquinas, of the Council of Toledo, of
Gregory, and of nearly all theologians, canonists, and jurists, is as
follows:[40] However persuasively and sufficiently the True Faith has
been preached to the heathen--former subjects of Christian princes
or apostates are quite another question--if they are unwilling to
heed it, that is not sufficient cause to justify war upon them, or to
despoil them of their goods.[41]
It is worth while on this point to quote the actual words of
Cajetan:[42] ‘There are some infidels who are neither in law nor in
fact under the temporal jurisdiction of Christian princes; just as
there were pagans who were never, subjects of the Roman Empire, and
yet who inhabit lands where the name of Christ was never heard. Now
their rulers, though heathen, are legitimate rulers, whether the
people live under a monarchical or a democratic régime. They are not
to be deprived of sovereignty over their possessions
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Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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