LAW IN GENERAL Generally speaking, the term LAW means any rule of action or order of sequence from which

any beings whatsoever either will not, or cannot, or ought not to deviate.1 RULE OF ACTION A rule of action is any warrant, instruction, measure, regulation or decision governing any act, conduct, transaction, or proceeding, including its consequences. A conspicuous example is a traffic regulation promulgated in accordance with a city or municipal ordinance. Another obvious illustration is a statute enacted by the legislature pursuant to its legislative powers in the constitution.

There are two important points that should be noted insofar as rules of action are concerned. First, conduct is included in the definition. This is necessary for in the legal order there are certain conduct, e.g. forbearance, which means intentional refraining from action, that are productive of distinct legal effects and consequences. In other words, forbearance is fully significant as positive act. The other point is that even though rules of action have been and are being violated they cannot be broken, in the sense that the word is used in the vernacular. Even though rules of action are repeatedly violated or remain unobserved they, nevertheless, continue to apply with their sanctions in full force and effect. Legally speaking, though, rules of action may be broken for they are always subject to repeal or amendment by the body constitutionally authorized to do so, or they may be declared null and void when they are contrary to the constitution. ORDERS OF SEQUENCE On the other hand, an order of sequence is any system of arrangement or consecutiveness, or any uniformity of a given group of phenomena. While this category is mainly concerned with physical nature, it cannot be gainsaid that an order of sequence is also law, such that any deviation therefrom results in inconvenience, damage or injury. The numerals or integers one to zero constitute a good example of order of sequence. This system of numerical arrangement or consecutiveness of the positional value of numbers cannot be unilaterally varied without harmful consequences. An example of a uniformity of physical nature is the pull or drag of gravity. Uniformities of nature can be harnessed to good use but no human being can violate or change any order or norm of physical nature without harmful results. For one thing, they are immutable for they do not alter with time and place. And, for another thing, they are absolute for they do not depend on the human will but operate inexorably admitting of no exceptions. Thus, a rule of action differs from an order of sequence in that the former is relative while the latter is absolute.

Rutherford, T., Institutes of natural law. 1. Second American Edition, New York.