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
cloth, or can give up to the common-wealth, 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 inforce 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, expresly or secretly
agreed upon, touching the manner of their union in living
together: the latter is that which we call the law of a common-
weal, 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.
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