people。　For　it　being　but　the　joint　power　of　every　member　of　the
  society　given　up　to　that　person　or　assembly　which　is　legislator；　it
  can　be　no　more　than　those　persons　had　in　a　state　of　Nature　before　they
  entered　into　society；　and　gave　it　up　to　the　community。　For　nobody
  can　transfer　to　another　more　power　than　he　has　in　himself；　and
  nobody　has　an　absolute　arbitrary　power　over　himself；　or　over　any
  other；　to　destroy　his　own　life；　or　take　away　the　life　or　property　of
  another。　A　man；　as　has　been　proved；　cannot　subject　himself　to　the
  arbitrary　power　of　another；　and　having；　in　the　state　of　Nature；　no
  arbitrary　power　over　the　life；　liberty；　or　possession　of　another；
  but　only　so　much　as　the　law　of　Nature　gave　him　for　the　preservation　of
  himself　and　the　rest　of　mankind；　this　is　all　he　doth；　or　can　give　up
  to　the　commonwealth；　and　by　it　to　the　legislative　power；　so　that　the
  legislative　can　have　no　more　than　this。　Their　power　in　the　utmost
  bounds　of　it　is　limited　to　the　public　good　of　the　society。*　It　is　a
  power　that　hath　no　other　end　but　preservation；　and　therefore　can　never
  have　a　right　to　destroy；　enslave；　or　designedly　to　impoverish　the
  subjects；　the　obligations　of　the　law　of　Nature　cease　not　in　society；
  but　only　in　many　cases　are　drawn　closer；　and　have；　by　human　laws；
  known　penalties　annexed　to　them　to　enforce　their　observation。　Thus　the
  law　of　Nature　stands　as　an　eternal　rule　to　all　men；　legislators　as
  well　as　others。　The　rules　that　they　make　for；　other　men's　actions
  must；　as　well　as　their　own　and　other　men's　actions；　be　conformable
  to　the　law　of　Nature…　i。e。；　to　the　will　of　God；　of　which　that　is　a
  declaration；　and　the　fundamental　law　of　Nature　being　the
  preservation　of　mankind；　no　human　sanction　can　be　good　or　valid
  against　it。
  *　〃Two　foundations　there　are　which　bear　up　public　societies；　the　one
  a　natural　inclination　whereby　all　men　desire　sociable　life　and
  fellowship；　the　other　an　order；　expressly　or　secretly　agreed　upon；
  touching　the　manner　of　their　union　in　living　together。　The　latter　is
  that　which　we　call　the　law　of　a　commonweal；　the　very　soul　of　a　politic
  body；　the　parts　whereof　are　by　law　animated；　held　together；　and　set　on
  work　in　such　actions　as　the　common　good　requireth。　Laws　politic；
  ordained　for　external　order　and　regimen　amongst　men；　are　never
  framed　as　they　should　be；　unless　presuming　the　will　of　man　to　be
  inwardly　obstinate；　rebellious；　and　averse　from　all　obedience　to　the
  sacred　laws　of　his　nature；　in　a　word；　unless　presuming　man　to　be　in
  regard　of　his　depraved　mind　little　better　than　a　wild　beast；　they　do
  accordingly　provide　notwithstanding；　so　to　frame　his　outward
  actions；　that　they　be　no　hindrance　unto　the　common　good；　for　which
  societies　are　instituted。　Unless　they　do　this　they　are　not　perfect。〃
  Hooker；　Eccl。　Pol。　i。　10。
  136。　Secondly；　the　legislative　or　supreme　authority　cannot　assume　to
  itself　a　power　to　rule　by　extemporary　arbitrary　decrees；　but　is
  bound　to　dispense　justice　and　decide　the　rights　of　the　subject　by
  promulgated　standing　laws；*　and　known　authorised　judges。　For　the　law
  of　Nature　being　unwritten；　and　so　nowhere　to　be　found　but　in　the　minds
  of　men；　they　who；　through　passion　or　interest；　shall　miscite　or
  misapply　it；　cannot　so　easily　be　convinced　of　their　mistake　where
  there　is　no　established　judge；　and　so　it　serves　not　as　it　aught；　to
  determine　the　rights　and　fence　the　properties　of　those　that　live　under
  it；　especially　where　every　one　is　judge；　interpreter；　and
  executioner　of　it　too；　and　that　in　his　own　case；　and　he　that　has　right
  on　his　side；　having　ordinarily　but　his　own　single　strength；　hath　not
  force　enough　to　defend　himself　from　injuries　or　punish　delinquents。　To
  avoid　these　inconveniencies　which　disorder　men's　properties　in　the
  state　of　Nature；　men　unite　into　societies　that　they　may　have　the
  united　strength　of　the　whole　society　to　secure　and　defend　their
  properties；　and　may　have　standing　rules　to　bound　it　by　which　every　one
  may　know　what　is　his。　To　this　end　it　is　that　men　give　up　all　their
  natural　power　to　the　society　they　enter　into；　and　the　community　put
  the　legislative　power　into　such　hands　as　they　think　fit；　with　this
  trust；　that　they　shall　be　governed　by　declared　laws；　or　else　their
  peace；　quiet；　and　property　will　still　be　at　the　same　uncertainty　as　it
  was　in　the　state　of　Nature。
  *　〃Human　laws　are　measures　in　respect　of　men　whose　actions　they　must
  direct；　howbeit　such　measures　they　are　as　have　also　their　higher　rules
  to　be　measured　by；　which　rules　are　two…　the　law　of　God　and　the　law
  of　Nature；　so　that　laws　human　must　be　made　according　to　the　general
  laws　of　Nature；　and　without　contradiction　to　any　positive　law　of
  Scripture；　otherwise　they　are　ill　made。〃　Hooker；　Eccl。　Pol。　iii。　9。
  〃To　constrain　men　to　anything　inconvenient　doth　seem
  unreasonable。〃　Ibid。　i。　10。
  137。　Absolute　arbitrary　power；　or　governing　without　settled　standing
  laws；　can　neither　of　them　consist　with　the　ends　of　society　and
  government；　which　men　would　not　quit　the　freedom　of　the　state　of
  Nature　for；　and　tie　themselves　up　under；　were　it　not　to　preserve　their
  lives；　liberties；　and　fortunes；　and　by　stated　rules　of　right　and
  property　to　secure　their　peace　and　quiet。　It　cannot　be　supposed　that
  they　should　intend；　had　they　a　power　so　to　do；　to　give　any　one　or　more
  an　absolute　arbitrary　power　over　their　persons　and　estates；　and　put
  a　force　into　the　magistrate's　hand　to　execute　his　unlimited　will
  arbitrarily　upon　them；　this　were　to　put　themselves　into　a　worse
  condition　than　the　state　of　Nature；　wherein　they　had　a　liberty　to
  defend　their　right　against　the　injuries　of　others；　and　were　upon　equal
  terms　of　force　to　maintain　it；　whether　invaded　by　a　single　man　or　many
  in　combination。　Whereas　by　supposing　they　have　given　up　themselves
  to　the　absolute　arbitrary　power　and　will　of　a　legislator；　they　have
  disarmed　themselves；　and　armed　him　to　make　a　prey　of　them　when　he
  pleases；　he　being　in　a　much　worse　condition　that　is　exposed　to　the
  arbitrary　power　of　one　man　who　has　the　command　of　a　hundred　thousand
  than　he　that　is　exposed　to　the　arbitrary　power　of　a　hundred　thousand
  single　men；　nobody　being　secure；　that　his　will　who　has　such　a
  command　is　better　than　that　of　other　men；　though　his　force　be　a
  hundred　thousand　times　stronger。　And；　therefore；　whatever　form　the
  commonwealth　is　under；　the　ruling　power　ought　to　govern　by　declared
  and　received　laws；　and　not　by　extemporary　dictates　and　undetermined
  resolutions；　for　then　mankind　will　be　in　a　far　worse　condition　than　in
  the　state　of　Nature　if　they　shall　have　armed　one　or　a　few　men　with　the
  joint　power　of　a　multitude；　to　force　them　to　obey　at　pleasure　the
  exorbitant　and　unlimited　decrees　of　their　sudden　thoughts；　or
  unrestrained；　and　till　that　moment；　unknown　wills；　without　having
  any　measures　set　down　which　may　guide　and　justify　their　actions。　For
  all　the　power　the　government　has；　being　only　for　the　good　of　the
  society；　as　it　ought　not　to　be　arbitrary　and　at　pleasure；　so　it
  ought　to　be　exercised　by　established　and　promulgated　laws；　that　both
  the　people　may　know　their　duty；　and　be　safe　and　secure　within　the
  limits　of　the　law；　and　the　rulers；　too；　kept　within　their　due
  bounds；　and　not　be　tempted　by　the　power　they　have　in　their　hands　to
  employ　it　to　purposes；　and　by　such　measures　as　they　would　not　have
  known；　and　own　not　willingly。
  138。　Thirdly；　the　supreme　power　cannot　take　from　any　man　any　part　of
  his　property　without　his　own　consent。　For　the　preservation　of　property
  being　the　end　of　government；　and　that　for　which　men　enter　into
  society；　it　necessarily　supposes　and　requires　that　the　people　should
  have　property；　without　which　they　must　be　supposed　to　lose　that　by
  entering　into　society　which　was　the　end　for　which　they　entered　into
  it；　too　gross　an　absurdity　for　any　man　to　own。　Men；　therefore；　in
  society　having　property；　they　have　such　a　right　to　the　goods；　which　by
  the　law　of　the　community　are　theirs；　that　nobody　hath　a　right　to
  take　them；　or　any　part　of　them；　from　them　without　their　own　consent；
  without　this　they　have　no　property　at　all。　For　I　have　truly　no
  property　in　that　which　another　can　by　right　take　from　me　when　he
  pleases　against　my　consent。　Hence　it　is　a　mistake　to　think　that　the
  supreme　or　legislative　power　of　any　commonwealth　can　do　what　it
  will；　and　dispose　of　the　estates　of　the　subject　arbitrarily；　or　take
  any　part　of　them　at　pleasure。　This　is　not　much　to　be　feared　in
  governments　where　the　legislative　consists　wholly　or　in　part　in
  assemblies　which　are　variable；　whose　members　upon　the　dissolution　of
  the　assembly　are　subjects　under　the　common　laws　of　their　country；
  equally　with　the　rest。　But　in　governments　where　the　legislative　is
  in　one　lasting　assembly；　always　in　being；　or　in　one　man　as　in　absolute
  monarchies；　there　is　danger　still；　that　they　will　think　themselves
  to　have　a　distinct　interest　from　the　rest　of　the　community；　and　so
  will　be　apt　to　increase　their　own　riches　and　power　by　taking　what　they
  think　fit　from　the　people。　For　a　man's　property　is　not　at　all
  secure；　though　there　be　good　and　equitable　laws　to