And therefore, though the people
cannot be judge, so as to have, by the constitution of that society,
any superior power to determine and give effective sentence in the
case, yet they have reserved that ultimate determination to themselves
which belongs to all mankind, where there lies no appeal on earth,
by a law antecedent and paramount to all positive laws of men, whether
they have just cause to make their appeal to Heaven. And this
judgement they cannot part with, it being out of a man's power so to
submit himself to another as to give him a liberty to destroy him; God
and Nature never allowing a man so to abandon himself as to neglect
his own preservation. And since he cannot take away his own life,
neither can he give another power to take it. Nor let any one think
this lays a perpetual foundation for disorder; for this operates not
till the inconvenience is so great that the majority feel it, and
are weary of it, and find a necessity to have it amended. And this the
executive power, or wise princes, never need come in the danger of;
and it is the thing of all others they have most need to avoid, as, of
all others, the most perilous.
Chapter XV
Of Paternal, Political and Despotical Power,
Considered Together
169.
Pages:
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164