Inthisdistribution，thefirstlawisfordivisionofthelanditself：whereinthesovereignassignethtoeverymanaportion，accordingashe，andnotaccordingasanysubject，oranynumberofthem，shalljudgeagreeabletoequityandthecommongood。ThechildrenofIsraelwereaCommonwealthinthewilderness；butwantedthecommoditiesoftheearthtilltheyweremastersoftheLandofPromise；whichafterwardwasdividedamongstthem，notbytheirowndiscretion，butbythediscretionofEleazarthepriest，andJoshuatheirgeneral：whowhenthereweretwelvetribes，makingthemthirteenbysubdivisionofthetribeofJoseph，madeneverthelessbuttwelveportionsoftheland，andordainedforthetribeofLevinoland，butassignedthemthetenthpartofthewholefruits；whichdivisionwasthereforearbitrary。Andthoughapeoplecomingintopossessionofalandbywardonotalwaysexterminatetheancientinhabitants，asdidtheJews，butleavetomany，ormost，orallofthemtheirestates；yetitismanifesttheyholdthemafterwards，asofthevictor’sdistribution；asthepeopleofEnglandheldalltheirsofWilliamtheConqueror。
Fromwhencewemaycollectthattheproprietywhichasubjecthathinhislandsconsistethinarighttoexcludeallothersubjectsfromtheuseofthem；andnottoexcludetheirsovereign，beitanassemblyoramonarch。Forseeingthesovereign，thatistosay，theCommonwealthwhosepersonherepresenteth，isunderstoodtodonothingbutinordertothecommonpeaceandsecurity，thisdistributionoflandsistobeunderstoodasdoneinordertothesame：andconsequently，whatsoeverdistributionheshallmakeinprejudicethereofiscontrarytothewillofeverysubjectthatcommittedhispeaceandsafetytohisdiscretionandconscience，andthereforebythewillofeveryoneofthemistobereputedvoid。Itistruethatasovereignmonarch，orthegreaterpartofasovereignassembly，mayordainthedoingofmanythingsinpursuitoftheirpassions，contrarytotheirownconsciences，whichisabreachoftrustandofthelawofnature；butthisisnotenoughtoauthorizeanysubject，eithertomakewarupon，orsomuchastoaccuseofinjustice，oranywaytospeakeviloftheirsovereign；becausetheyhaveauthorizedallhisactions，and，inbestowingthesovereignpower，madethemtheirown。Butinwhatcasesthecommandsofsovereignsarecontrarytoequityandthelawofnatureistobeconsideredhereafterinanotherplace。
Inthedistributionofland，theCommonwealthitselfmaybeconceivedtohaveaportion，andpossessandimprovethesamebytheirrepresentative；andthatsuchportionmaybemadesufficienttosustainthewholeexpensetothecommonpeaceanddefencenecessarilyrequired：whichwereverytrue，iftherecouldbeanyrepresentativeconceivedfreefromhumanpassionsandinfirmities。Butthenatureofmenbeingasitis，thesettingforthofpublicland，orofanycertainrevenuefortheCommonwealth，isinvain，andtendethtothedissolutionofgovernment，totheconditionofmerenature，andwar，assoonaseverthesovereignpowerfallethintothehandsofamonarch，orofanassembly，thatareeithertoonegligentofmoneyortoohazardousinengagingthepublicstockintolongorcostlywar。
Commonwealthscanendurenodiet：forseeingtheirexpenseisnotlimitedbytheirownappetitebutbyexternalaccidents，andtheappetitesoftheirneighbours，thepublicrichescannotbelimitedbyotherlimitsthanthosewhichtheemergentoccasionsshallrequire。
AndwhereasinEngland，therewerebytheConquerordiverselandsreservedtohisownusebesidesforestsandchases，eitherforhisrecreationorforpreservationofwoods，anddiverseservicesreservedonthelandhegavehissubjects；yetitseemstheywerenotreservedforhismaintenanceinhispublic，butinhisnaturalcapacity：forheandhissuccessorsdid，forallthat，layarbitrarytaxesonallsubjects’landwhentheyjudgeditnecessary。OrifthosepubliclandsandserviceswereordainedasasufficientmaintenanceoftheCommonwealth，itwascontrarytothescopeoftheinstitution，beingasitappearedbythoseensuingtaxesinsufficientandasitappearsbythelatesmallrevenueoftheCrownsubjecttoalienationanddiminution。ItisthereforeinvaintoassignaportiontotheCommonwealth，whichmaysellorgiveitaway，anddoessellandgiveitawaywhenitisdonebytheirrepresentative。