gated from the people. the prudential care and provifion for the pub- All power dele lives, properties and laws; for this very end and purpose, he has the delegation of power from the people; and he has no just claim to any other power but this." Thefe fundamental principles of government were not then first discovered by modern theorists, who would aim at the abolition of all kingly power; but they were inculcated between three and four hundred years ago by a fage and learned chancellor of England, into the heir apparent to the crown, at a time, when the the slightest deviation from the ftraight line of conftitutional polity would, in the judgment of a Fortescue, have more effectually weakened the throne, than the most desperate and inhuman efforts of the different competitors for the crown, who were actually then deluging the nation with blood, and overwhelming it with wretchednefs. This fundamental principle of general government has been fo unexceptionably admitted by perfons of every description, that it seems to have been received as a political axiom. *« By the law of nature God hath ordained, that there fhould be political government unto one or more, according to particular forms thereof, as monarchy, aristocracy, democracy, or mixt; wherein is to be noted, that the ordination of God, by the law of nature, doth give political power unto the multitude immediately, and by them mediately to one or more." As effential as fociety is to the phyfical state or condition of man, fo effential is fove reignty or government to fociety. "People, if they would engage the protection of the whole body, and join their force in enterprizes and undertakings calculated for the common good, muft voluntarily refign fome Parfon's answer to Sir Edward Coke, c. ii. p. 26. + Priefly upon Government, p. 6. part Sovereignty or government as effential to fociety as fociety is to mankind. part of their natural liberty, and fubmit their conduct to the direction of the community; for without thefe conceffions, fuch an alliance, attended with fuch advantages, could not be formed." The weight of authority, for this fundamental principle of government, all power is from the people, is almoft unexceptionable: the few, who have at any time queftioned or denied it, have either misconceived it themselves, or in the heat of great contention, have obftinately refused to submit even to the truth of their antagonists. Like other truths, this has frequently met with oppofition and refiftance from the attempts of the ignorant to mifreprefent, and the wicked to abufe it. When I lament the pliancy, with which many of my well meaning countrymen are feduced by the fophifticated arts and malice of fome few, I feel at the fame time a fatisfaction at their difpofition to feek the truth, which infpires me with an uncommon ardor to fet it before them in fo clear a light, that they shall not fhut their eyes against it. * " Nec tam pertinaces fore arbitror, ut clariffi Lactantius. If to my more informed readers I appear guilty of pleonafm, I beg to be understood to have written this work with a view to point out the true road to those, that are ignorant, or have been misled. mum folem, fanis atque patentibus oculis videre fe negent." *« That fociability in mankind, or inclination to live in company, is by nature, and confequently ordained by God, for the common benefit of all, is an eafie thing to prove, feeing that all ground of realms and commonwealths dependeth of this point, as of their first principle; for that a common-wealth is nothing else, but the good government of a multitude gathered together, to live in one; and therefore all old philofophers, law-makers, and wife-men, that have treated of government or common-wealths; as Plato in his ten moft excellent books, which he wrote of this matter, intituling them, Of the Common-wealths; and Marcus Cicero, that famous counsellor, in other fix books, that he writ of the fame matter, under the fame title; and Ariftotle, that perhaps, excelleth them both, in eight books, which he called his Politiques: all these, I fay, do make their entrance to treat of the common-wealth affairs, from this first principle, to wit, That man by nature is fociable, and inclined to live in company. "These two points then are of nature; Government is • Dolman's Conference about the next Succeffion to the Crown of England, first printed in 1594, and reprinted in 1681. of nature. The particular form of govern ment is at option of each fociety to wit, the common-wealth and government of the fame by magistrates; but what kind of government each common-wealth will have, whether democratia, which is popular government by the people itself, as Athens, Thebes, and many other cities of Greece had in old time, and as the Cantons or Switzers at this day have; or elfe ariftocratia, which is the government of fome certain chofen number of the beft; as the Romans many years were governed by confuls and fenators, and at this day the States of this country of Holland do imitate the fame; or else monarchia, which is the regiment ofone, and this again either of an emperor, king, duke, earl, or the like: thefe particular forms of government, I fay, are not determined by God or nature, as the other two points before; for then they fhould be all one in all nations as the other are, feeing God and nature are one to all (as often hath been faid) but these particular forms are left unto every nation or country to chufe that form of government, which they fhall like best, and think moft fit for the natures and conditions of their people, which Ariftotle proveth throughout all the fecond and fourth books of his Politiques, very largely laying down divers kinds of governments in his days, as namely, in Greece, that of the Milefians, Lacedemonians, Candians, |