But whether the
mischief hath oftener begun in the peoples wantonness, and a
desire to cast off the lawful authority of their rulers, or in
the rulers insolence, and endeavours to get and exercise an
arbitrary power over their people; whether oppression, or
disobedience, gave the first rise to the disorder, I leave it to
impartial history to determine. This I am sure, whoever, either
ruler or subject, by force goes about to invade the rights of
either prince or people, and lays the foundation for overturning
the constitution and frame of any just government, is highly
guilty of the greatest crime, I think, a man is capable of, being
to answer for all those mischiefs of blood, rapine, and
desolation, which the breaking to pieces of governments bring on
a country. And he who does it, is justly to be esteemed the
common enemy and pest of mankind, and is to be treated
accordingly.
Sec. 231. That subjects or foreigners, attempting by
force on the properties of any people, may be resisted with
force, is agreed on all hands. But that magistrates, doing the
same thing, may be resisted, hath of late been denied: as if
those who had the greatest privileges and advantages by the law,
had thereby a power to break those laws, by which alone they were
set in a better place than their brethren: whereas their offence
is thereby the greater, both as being ungrateful for the greater
share they have by the law, and breaking also that trust, which
is put into their hands by their brethren.
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