The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 03 (of 11)
Thomas Hobbes · en
Again, every sovereign ought to cause justice to be taught, which,
consisting in taking from no man what is his, is as much as to say, to
cause men to be taught not to deprive their neighbours, by violence or
fraud, of any thing which by the sovereign authority is theirs. Of
things held in propriety, those that are dearest to a man are his own
life, and limbs; and in the next degree, in most men, those that concern
conjugal affection; and after them, riches and means of living.
Therefore the people are to be taught, to abstain from violence to one
another’s person, by private revenges; from violation of conjugal
honour; and from forcible rapine, and fraudulent surreption of one
another’s goods. For which purpose also it is necessary they be showed
the evil consequences of false judgment, by corruption either of judges
or witnesses, whereby the distinction of propriety is taken away, and
justice becomes of no effect: all which things are intimated in the
sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth commandments.
[Sidenote: And to do all this sincerely from the heart.]
Lastly, they are to be taught, that not only the unjust facts, but the
designs and intentions to do them, though by accident hindered, are
injustice; which consisteth in the pravity of the will, as well as in
the irregularity of the act. And this is the intention of the tenth
commandment, and the sum of the second table; which is reduced all to
this one commandment of mutual charity, _thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself_: as the sum of the first table is reduced to _the love of
God_; whom they had then newly received as their king.
[Sidenote: The use of universities.]