Sec. 133. By common-wealth, I must be understood all along
to mean, not a democracy, or any form of government, but any
independent community, which the Latines signified by the word
civitas, to which the word which best answers in our language, is
common-wealth, and most properly expresses such a society of men,
which community or city in English does not; for there may be
subordinate communities in a government; and city amongst us has
a quite different notion from common-wealth: and therefore, to
avoid ambiguity, I crave leave to use the word common-wealth in
that sense, in which I find it used by king James the first; and
I take it to be its genuine signification; which if any body
dislike, I consent with him to change it for a better.
CHAP. XI.
Of the Extent of the Legislative Power.
Sec. 134. THE great end of men's entering into society,
being the enjoyment of their properties in peace and safety, and
the great instrument and means of that being the laws established
in that society; the first and fundamental positive law of all
commonwealths is the establishing of the legislative power; as
the first and fundamental natural law, which is to govern even
the legislative itself, is the preservation of the society, and
(as far as will consist with the public good) of every person in
it.
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