It cannot be supposed that
they should intend, had they a power so to do, to give any one or more
an absolute arbitrary power over their persons and estates, and put
a force into the magistrate's hand to execute his unlimited will
arbitrarily upon them; this were to put themselves into a worse
condition than the state of Nature, wherein they had a liberty to
defend their right against the injuries of others, and were upon equal
terms of force to maintain it, whether invaded by a single man or many
in combination. Whereas by supposing they have given up themselves
to the absolute arbitrary power and will of a legislator, they have
disarmed themselves, and armed him to make a prey of them when he
pleases; he being in a much worse condition that is exposed to the
arbitrary power of one man who has the command of a hundred thousand
than he that is exposed to the arbitrary power of a hundred thousand
single men, nobody being secure, that his will who has such a
command is better than that of other men, though his force be a
hundred thousand times stronger. And, therefore, whatever form the
commonwealth is under, the ruling power ought to govern by declared
and received laws, and not by extemporary dictates and undetermined
resolutions, for then mankind will be in a far worse condition than in
the state of Nature if they shall have armed one or a few men with the
joint power of a multitude, to force them to obey at pleasure the
exorbitant and unlimited decrees of their sudden thoughts, or
unrestrained, and till that moment, unknown wills, without having
any measures set down which may guide and justify their actions.
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