▁by ▁Co ke , ▁who ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁them ) ▁c ited ▁as ▁authorities ▁Arist ot le , ▁Cic ero , ▁and ▁the ▁Apost le ▁Paul ; ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁B ract on , ▁Fort esc ue , ▁and ▁St . ▁Germ ain . ▁ ▁After ▁Co ke , ▁the ▁most ▁famous ▁common ▁law ▁jur ist ▁of ▁the ▁sevent e enth ▁century ▁is ▁Sir ▁Matthew ▁H ale . ▁H ale ▁wrote ▁a ▁treat ise ▁on ▁natural ▁law ▁that ▁circul ated ▁among ▁English ▁law y ers ▁in ▁the ▁eigh teenth ▁century ▁and ▁surv ives ▁in ▁three ▁manuscript ▁copies . ▁This ▁natural - law ▁treat ise ▁has ▁been ▁published ▁as ▁Of ▁the ▁Law ▁of ▁Nature ▁( 2 0 1 5 ). ▁H ale ' s ▁definition ▁of ▁the ▁natural ▁law ▁reads : ▁" It ▁is ▁the ▁Law ▁of ▁Al m ight y ▁God ▁given ▁by ▁him ▁to ▁Man ▁with ▁his ▁Nature ▁discover ing ▁the ▁mor all ▁good ▁and ▁moral ▁ev ill ▁of ▁Mor al ▁A ctions , ▁command ing ▁the ▁former , ▁and ▁forb idd ing ▁the ▁latter ▁by ▁the ▁secret ▁voice ▁or ▁dict ate ▁of ▁his ▁impl anted ▁nature , ▁his ▁reason , ▁and ▁his ▁con cience ." ▁He ▁viewed ▁natural ▁law ▁as ▁ante ced ent , ▁prepar atory , ▁and ▁subsequent ▁to ▁civil ▁government , ▁and ▁stated ▁that ▁human ▁law ▁" c annot ▁forb id ▁what ▁the ▁Law ▁of ▁Nature ▁in jo ins , ▁nor ▁Command ▁what ▁the ▁Law ▁of ▁Nature ▁prohib its ." ▁He ▁c ited ▁as ▁authorities ▁Pl ato , ▁Arist