: ▁" For ▁when ▁the ▁Gent iles , ▁which ▁have ▁not ▁the ▁law , ▁do ▁by ▁nature ▁the ▁things ▁contained ▁in ▁the ▁law , ▁these , ▁having ▁not ▁the ▁law , ▁are ▁a ▁law ▁unto ▁themselves : ▁Which ▁she w ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁law ▁written ▁in ▁their ▁hearts , ▁their ▁conscience ▁also ▁bearing ▁witness , ▁and ▁their ▁thoughts ▁the ▁mean while ▁acc using ▁or ▁else ▁exc using ▁one ▁another ." ▁The ▁intellectual ▁historian ▁A . ▁J . ▁Car ly le ▁has ▁commented ▁on ▁this ▁passage , ▁" There ▁can ▁be ▁little ▁doubt ▁that ▁St ▁Paul ' s ▁words ▁imply ▁some ▁conception ▁analog ous ▁to ▁the ▁' natural ▁law ' ▁in ▁Cic ero , ▁a ▁law ▁written ▁in ▁men ' s ▁hearts , ▁recognized ▁by ▁man ' s ▁reason , ▁a ▁law ▁distinct ▁from ▁the ▁positive ▁law ▁of ▁any ▁State , ▁or ▁from ▁what ▁St ▁Paul ▁recognized ▁as ▁the ▁revealed ▁law ▁of ▁God . ▁It ▁is ▁in ▁this ▁sense ▁that ▁St ▁Paul ' s ▁words ▁are ▁taken ▁by ▁the ▁F athers ▁of ▁the ▁fourth ▁and ▁fifth ▁centuries ▁like ▁St ▁Hil ary ▁of ▁Po it iers , ▁St ▁Am bro se , ▁and ▁St ▁August ine , ▁and ▁there ▁seems ▁no ▁reason ▁to ▁doubt ▁the ▁correct ness ▁of ▁their ▁interpretation ." ▁ ▁Because ▁of ▁its ▁orig ins ▁in ▁the ▁Old ▁Testament , ▁early ▁Church ▁F athers , ▁especially ▁those ▁in ▁the ▁West , ▁saw ▁natural ▁law ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁natural ▁foundation ▁of ▁Christian ity . ▁The ▁most ▁notable ▁among ▁these ▁was ▁August ine