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them in a conteft, wherein they are fure to perish; it being as impoffible for one, or a few oppreffed men to disturb the government, where the body of the people do not think themselves concerned in it, as for a raving mad-man, or heady mal-content to overturn a well-fettled ftate; the people being as little apt to follow the one, as the other.

§. 209. But if either these illegal acts have extended to the majority of the people; or if the mischief and oppreffion has lighted only on fome few, but in fuch cafes, as the precedent, and confequences feem to threaten all; and they are perfuaded in their confciences, that their laws, and with them their eftates, liberties, and lives are in danger, and perhaps their religion too; how they will be hindered from refifting illegal force, ufed against them, I cannot tell. This is an inconvenience, I confefs, that attends all governments whatsoever, when the governors have brought it to this pass, to be generally fufpected of their people; the most dangerous ftate which they can poffibly put themselves in; wherein they are the lefs to be pitied, because it is fo eafy to be avoided; it being as impoffible for a governor, if he really means the good of his people, and the prefervation of them, and their laws together, not to make them fee and feel it, as it is for the father of a family, not to let his children fee he loves, and takes care of them.

§. 210.

§. 210. But if all the world fhall observe pretences of one kind, and actions of another; arts used to elude the law, and the truft of prerogative (which is an arbitrary power in fome things left in the prince's hand to do good, not harm to the people) employed contrary to the end for which it was given: if the people fhall find the ministers and fubordinate magiftrates chofen fuitable to fuch ends, and favoured, or laid by, proportionably as they promote or oppose them: if they fee several experiments made of arbitrary power, and that religion underhand favoured, (tho' publicly proclaimed against) which is readiest to introduce it; and the operators in it fupported, as much as may be; and when that cannot be done, yet approved ftill, and liked the better if a long train of actions fhew the councils all tending that way; how can a man any more hinder himself from being perfuaded in his own mind, which way things are going; or from cafting about how to fave himself, than he could from believing the captain of the ship he was in, was carrying him, and the reft of the company, to Algiers, when he found him always fteering that courfe, though cross winds, leaks in his fhip, and want of men and provisions did often force him to turn his course another way for fome time, which he fteadily returned to again, as foon as the wind, weather, and other circumstances would let him?

CHAP.

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wat met bet CH A P. XIX.

Of the Diffolution of Governments 30 be

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S.211E that will with any clearness fpeak of the diffolution of government, ought in the first place to distinguish between the diffolution of the fociety and the diffolution of the government. That which makes the community, and brings men outs of the loose state of nature, into one p politic fociety, is the agreement which every one has with the reft to incorporate, and act as one body, and so be one diftinct common-wealth. The ufual, and almoft only way whereby this union is diffolved, is the inroad of foreign force making a conqueft upon them: for in that cafe, (not being able to maintain and fupport themselves, as one intire and independent body) the union belonging to that body which confifted therein, muft neceffarily ceafe, and fo every one return to the ftate he was in before, with a liberty to shift for himself, and provide for his own fafety, as he thinks fit, in fome other society. When ever the fociety is diffolved, it is certain the government of that fociety cannot remain. Thus conquerors fwords often cut up governments by the roots, and mangle focieties to pieces, feparating the fubdued or fcattered. multitude from the protection of, and dependence on, that fociety which ought to

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bave preferved them from violence. The world is too well inftructed in, and too forward to allow of, this way of diffolving of governments, to need any more to be faid of it; and there wants not much argument to prove, that where the fociety is diffolved, the government cannot remain; that being as impoffible, as for the frame of an houfe to fubfift when the materials of it are scattered and diffipated by a whirl-wind, or jumbled into a confused heap by an earthquake.

§. 212. Befides this over-turning from without, governments are diffolved from within,

First, When the legislative is altered. Civil fociety being a state of peace, amongst those who are of it, from whom the ftate of war is excluded by the umpirage, which they have provided in their legislative, for the ending all differences that may arise amongst any of them, it is in their legislative, that the members of a common-wealth are united, and combined together into one coherent living body. This is the foul that gives form, life, and unity, to the common-wealth: from hence the feveral members have their mutual influence, fympathy, and connexion: and therefore, when the legislative is broken, or diffolved, diffolution and death follows: for the essence and union of the fociety consisting in having one will, the legislative, when once established by the majority, has the declaring and as it were keeping of that will. The Сс

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conftitution of the legislative is the first and fundamental act of fociety, whereby provifion is made for the continuation of their union, under the direction of perfons, and bonds of laws, made by perfons authorized thereunto, by the confent and appointment of the people, without which no one man, or number of men, amongst them, can have authority of making laws that fhall be binding to the reft. When any one, or more, fhall take upon them to make laws, whom the people have not appointed fo to do, they make laws without authority, which the people are not therefore bound to obey; by which means they come again to be out of subjection, and may conftitute to themfelves a new legislative, as they think beft, being in full liberty to refift the force of thofe, who without authority would impofe any thing upon them. Every one is at the difpofure of his own will, when those who had, by the delegation of the fociety, the declaring of the public will, are excluded from it, and others ufurp the place, who have no fuch authority or delegation.g

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t§. 213. This being usually brought about by fuch in the common-wealth who misuse the power they have; it is hard to confider it aright, and know at whose door to lay it, without knowing the form of government in which it happens. Let us fuppofe then the legiflative placed in the concurrence of three diftinct perfons.

I. A

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