129. The first power- viz., of doing whatsoever he thought fit for
the preservation of himself and the rest of mankind, he gives up to be
regulated by laws made by the society, so far forth as the
preservation of himself and the rest of that society shall require;
which laws of the society in many things confine the liberty he had by
the law of Nature.
130. Secondly, the power of punishing he wholly gives up, and
engages his natural force, which he might before employ in the
execution of the law of Nature, by his own single authority, as he
thought fit, to assist the executive power of the society as the law
thereof shall require. For being now in a new state, wherein he is
to enjoy many conveniencies from the labour, assistance, and society
of others in the same community, as well as protection from its
whole strength, he is to part also with as much of his natural
liberty, in providing for himself, as the good, prosperity, and safety
of the society shall require, which is not only necessary but just,
since the other members of the society do the like.
131. But though men when they enter into society give up the
equality, liberty, and executive power they had in the state of Nature
into the hands of the society, to be so far disposed of by the
legislative as the good of the society shall require, yet it being
only with an intention in every one the better to preserve himself,
his liberty and property (for no rational creature can be supposed
to change his condition with an intention to be worse), the power of
the society or legislative constituted by them can never be supposed
to extend farther than the common good, but is obliged to secure every
one's property by providing against those three defects above
mentioned that made the state of Nature so unsafe and uneasy.
Pages:
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127