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。
Asthedistributionoflandsathome，soalsotoassigninwhatplaces，andforwhatcommodities，thesubjectshalltrafficabroadbelongedtothesovereign。Forifitdidbelongtoprivatepersonstousetheirowndiscretiontherein，someofthemwouldbedrawnforgain，bothtofurnishtheenemywithmeanstohurttheCommonwealth，andhurtitthemselvesbyimportingsuchthingsas，pleasingmen’sappetites，beneverthelessnoxious，oratleastunprofitabletothem。AndthereforeitbelongedtotheCommonwealththatis，tothesovereignonlytoapproveordisapprovebothoftheplacesandmatterofforeigntraffic。
Further，seeingitisnotenoughtothesustentationofaCommonwealththateverymanhaveaproprietyinaportionofland，orinsomefewcommodities，oranaturalpropertyinsomeusefulart，andthereisnoartintheworldbutisnecessaryeitherforthebeingorwell-beingalmostofeveryparticularman；itisnecessarythatmendistributethatwhichtheycanspare，andtransfertheirproprietythereinmutuallyonetoanotherbyexchangeandmutualcontract。AndthereforeitbelongedtotheCommonwealththatistosay，tothesovereigntoappointinwhatmannerallkindsofcontractbetweensubjectsasbuying，selling，exchanging，borrowing，lending，letting，andtakingtohirearetobemade，andbywhatwordsandwordsandsigntheyshallbeunderstoodforvalid。
AndforthematteranddistributionofthenourishmenttotheseveralmembersoftheCommonwealth，thusmuch，consideringthemodelofthewholework，issufficient。
Byconcoction，Iunderstandthereducingofallcommoditieswhicharenotpresentlyconsumed，butreservedfornourishmentintimetocome，tosomethingofequalvalue，andwithalsoportableasnottohinderthemotionofmenfromplacetoplace；totheendamanmayhaveinwhatplacesoeversuchnourishmentastheplaceaffordeth。Andthisisnothingelsebutgold，andsilver，andmoney。Forgoldandsilver，being，asithappens，almostinallcountriesoftheworldhighlyvalued，isacommodiousmeasureofthevalueofallthingselsebetweennations；andmoney，ofwhatmattersoevercoinedbythesovereignofaCommonwealth，isasufficientmeasureofthevalueofallthingselsebetweenthesubjectsofthatCommonwealth。Bythemeansofwhichmeasuresallcommodities，movableandimmovable，aremadetoaccompanyamantoallplacesofhisresort，withinandwithouttheplaceofhisordinaryresidence；andthesamepassethfrommantomanwithintheCommonwealth，andgoesroundabout，nourishing，asitpasseth，everypartthereof；insomuchasthisconcoctionis，asitwere，thesanguificationoftheCommonwealth：fornaturalbloodisinlikemannermadeofthefruitsoftheearth；
and，circulating，nourishethbythewayeverymemberofthebodyofman。
Andbecausesilverandgoldhavetheirvaluefromthematteritself，theyhavefirstthisprivilege；thatthevalueofthemcannotbealteredbythepowerofonenorofafewCommonwealths；asbeingacommonmeasureofthecommoditiesofallplaces。Butbasemoneymayeasilybeenhancedorabased。Secondly，theyhavetheprivilegetomakeCommonwealthsmoveandstretchouttheirarms，whenneedis，intoforeigncountries；andsupply，notonlyprivatesubjectsthattravel，butalsowholearmieswithprovision。Butthatcoin，whichisnotconsiderableforthematter，butforthestampoftheplace，beingunabletoendurechangeofair，hathitseffectathomeonly；
wherealsoitissubjecttothechangeoflaws，andtherebytohavethevaluediminished，totheprejudicemanytimesofthosethathaveit。
Theconduitsandwaysbywhichitisconveyedtothepublicuseareoftwosorts：one，thatconveyethittothepubliccoffers；theother，thatissueththesameoutagainforpublicpayments。Ofthefirstsortarecollectors，receivers，andtreasurers；ofthesecondarethetreasurersagain，andtheofficersappointedforpaymentofseveralpublicorprivateministers。Andinthisalsotheartificialmanmaintainshisresemblancewiththenatural；whoseveins，receivingthebloodfromtheseveralpartsofthebody，carryittotheheart；
where，beingmadevital，theheartbythearteriessendsitoutagain，toenlivenandenableformotionallthemembersofthesame。
TheprocreationorchildrenofaCommonwealtharethosewecallplantations，orcolonies；whicharenumbersofmensentoutfromtheCommonwealth，underaconductororgovernor，toinhabitaforeigncountry，eitherformerlyvoidofinhabitants，ormadevoidthenbywar。Andwhenacolonyissettled，theyareeitheraCommonwealthofthemselves，dischargedoftheirsubjectiontotheirsovereignthatsentthemashathbeendonebymanyCommonwealthsofancienttime，inwhichcasetheCommonwealthfromwhichtheywentwascalledtheirmetropolis，ormother，andrequiresnomoreofthemthanfathersrequireofthechildrenwhomtheyemancipateandmakefreefromtheirdomesticgovernment，whichishonourandfriendship；orelsetheyremainunitedtotheirmetropolis，aswerethecoloniesofthepeopleofRome；andthentheyarenoCommonwealthsthemselves，butprovinces，andpartsoftheCommonwealththatsentthem。Sothattherightofcolonies，savinghonourandleaguewiththeirmetropolis，dependethwhollyontheirlicense，orletters，bywhichtheirsovereignauthorizedthemtoplant。
HOWfallaciousitistojudgeofthenatureofthingsbytheordinaryandinconstantuseofwordsappearethinnothingmorethanintheconfusionofcounselsandcommands，arisingfromtheimperativemannerofspeakinginthemboth，andinmanyotheroccasionsbesides。Forthewordsdothisarethewordsnotonlyofhimthatcommandeth；butalsoofhimthatgivethcounsel；andofhimthatexhorteth；andyettherearebutfewthatseenotthattheseareverydifferentthings；orthatcannotdistinguishbetweenwhentheywhentheyperceivewhoitisthatspeaketh，andtowhomthespeechisdirected，anduponwhatoccasion。Butfindingthosephrasesinmen’swritings，andbeingnotableornotwillingtoenterintoaconsiderationofthecircumstances，theymistakesometimesthepreceptsofcounsellorsforthepreceptsofthemthatcommand；andsometimesthecontrary；accordingasitbestagreethwiththeconclusionstheywouldinfer，ortheactionstheyapprove。Toavoidwhichmistakesandrendertothosetermsofcommanding，counselling，andexhorting，theirproperanddistinctsignifications，Idefinethemthus。
Commandiswhereamansaith，“Dothis，“or“Donotthis，“withoutexpectingotherreasonthanthewillofhimthatsaysit。Fromthisitfollowethmanifestlythathethatcommandethpretendeththerebyhisownbenefit：forthereasonofhiscommandishisownwillonly，andtheproperobjectofeveryman’swillissomegoodtohimself。
Counseliswhereamansaith，“Do，“or“Donotthis，“anddeducethhisreasonsfromthebenefitthatarrivethbyittohimtowhomhesaithit。Andfromthisitisevidentthathethatgivethcounselpretendethonlywhatsoeverheintendeththegoodofhimtowhomhegivethit。
Thereforebetweencounselandcommand，onegreatdifferenceisthatcommandisdirectedtoaman’sownbenefit，andcounseltothebenefitofanotherman。Andfromthisarisethanotherdifference，thatamanmaybeobligedtodowhatheiscommanded；aswhenhehathcovenantedtoobey：buthecannotbeobligedtodoasheiscounselled，becausethehurtofnotfollowingitishisown；orifheshouldcovenanttofollowit，thenisthecounselturnedintothenatureofacommand。Athirddifferencebetweenthemisthatnomancanpretendarighttobeofanotherman’scounsel；becauseheisnottopretendbenefitbyittohimself：buttodemandrighttocounselanotherarguesawilltoknowhisdesigns，ortogainsomeothergoodtohimself；which，asIsaidbefore，isofeveryman’swilltheproperobject。
Thisalsoisincidenttothenatureofcounsel；thatwhatsoeveritbe，hethataskethitcannotinequityaccuseorpunishit：fortoaskcounselofanotheristopermithimtogivesuchcounselasheshallthinkbest；andconsequently，hethatgivethcounseltohissovereignwhetheramonarchoranassemblywhenheaskethit，cannotinequitybepunishedforit，whetherthesamebeconformabletotheopinionofthemost，ornot，soitbetothepropositionindebate。
Forifthesenseoftheassemblycanbetakennoticeof，beforethedebatebeended，theyshouldneitherasknortakeanyfurthercounsel；