XX. ;.] THE SECOND BOOK. 189 



7. There is formed in every thing a double nature of 

 good : the one, as every thing is a total or substantive in 

 itself; the other, as it is a part or member of a greater 

 body : whereof the latter is in degree the greater and 

 the worthier, because it tendeth to the conservation of a 

 more general form. Therefore we see the iron in par 

 ticular sympathy moveth to the loadstone ; but yet if it 

 exceed a certain quantity, it forsaketh the affection to the 

 loadstone, and like a good patriot moveth to the earth, 

 which is the region and country of massy bodies : so may 

 we go forward, and see that water and massy bodies 

 move to the centre of the earth ; but rather than to suffer 

 a divulsion in the continuance of nature, they will move 

 upwards from the centre of the earth, forsaking their duty 

 to the earth in regard of their duty to the world. This 

 double nature of good, and the comparative thereof, is 

 much more engraven upon man, if he degenerate not : 

 unto whom the conservation of duty to the public ought 

 to be much more precious than the conservation of life 

 and being : according to that memorable speech of Pom- 

 peius Magnus, when being in commission of purveyance 

 for a famine at Rome, and being dissuaded with great 

 vehemency and instance by his friends about him, that 

 he should not hazard himself to sea in an extremity of 

 weather, he said only to them, Necesse est ut earn, non ut 

 vivam. But it may be truly affirmed that there was never 

 any philosophy, religion, or other discipline, which did 

 so plainly and highly exalt the good which is commun 

 icative, and depress the good which is private and par 

 ticular, as the Holy Faith ; well declaring that it was the 

 same God that gave the Christian law to men, who gave 

 those laws of nature to inanimate creatures that we spake 

 of before ; for we read that the elected saints of God have 



