C H A P. X I I I.
Of the Subordination of the Powers of the
Common-wealth.
Sec. 149. THOUGH in a constituted common-wealth, standing
upon its own basis, and acting according to its own nature, that
is, acting for the preservation of the community, there can be
but one supreme power, which is the legislative, to which all the
rest are and must be subordinate, yet the legislative being only
a fiduciary power to act for certain ends, there remains still in
the people a supreme power to remove or alter the legislative,
when they find the legislative act contrary to the trust reposed
in them: for all power given with trust for the attaining an end,
being limited by that end, whenever that end is manifestly
neglected, or opposed, the trust must necessarily be forfeited,
and the power devolve into the hands of those that gave it, who
may place it anew where they shall think best for their safety
and security. And thus the community perpetually retains a
supreme power of saving themselves from the attempts and designs
of any body, even of their legislators, whenever they shall be so
foolish, or so wicked, as to lay and carry on designs against the
liberties and properties of the subject: for no man or society of
men, having a power to deliver up their preservation, or
consequently the means of it, to the absolute will and arbitrary
dominion of another; when ever any one shall go about to bring
them into such a slavish condition, they will always have a right
to preserve, what they have not a power to part with; and to rid
themselves of those, who invade this fundamental, sacred, and
unalterable law of self-preservation, for which they entered into
society.
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