forsenseoftheassemblyistheresolutionofthedebateandendofalldeliberation。Andgenerallyhethatdemandethcounselisauthorofit，andthereforecannotpunishit；andwhatthesovereigncannot，nomanelsecan。Butifonesubjectgivethcounseltoanothertodoanythingcontrarytothelaws，whetherthatcounselproceedfromevilintentionorfromignoranceonly，itispunishablebytheCommonwealth；becauseignoranceofthelawisnogoodexcuse，whereeverymanisboundtotakenoticeofthelawstowhichheissubject。
Exhortation，anddehortationiscounsel，accompaniedwithsignsinhimthatgivethitofvehementdesiretohaveitfollowed；or，tosayitmorebriefly，counselvehementlypressed。Forhethatexhortethdothnotdeducetheconsequencesofwhatheadvisethtobedone，andtiehimselfthereintotherigoroftruereasoning，butencourageshimhecounsellethtoaction：ashethatdehortethdeterrethhimfromit。Andthereforetheyhaveintheirspeechesaregardtothecommonpassionsandopinionsofmen，indeducingtheirreasons；andmakeuseofsimilitudes，metaphors，examples，andothertoolsoforatory，topersuadetheirhearersoftheutility，honour，orjusticeoffollowingtheiradvice。
Fromwhencemaybeinferred，first，thatexhortationanddehortationisdirectedtothegoodofhimthatgiveththecounsel，notofhimthataskethit，whichiscontrarytothedutyofacounsellor；who，bythedefinitionofcounsel，oughttoregard，nothisownbenefit，buthiswhomheadviseth。Andthathedirectethhiscounseltohisownbenefitismanifestenoughbythelongandvehementurging，orbytheartificialgivingthereof；whichbeingnotrequiredofhim，andconsequentlyproceedingfromhisownoccasions，isdirectedprincipallytohisownbenefit，andbutaccidentallytothegoodofhimthatiscounselled，ornotatall。
Secondly，thattheuseofexhortationanddehortationliethonlywhereamanistospeaktoamultitude，becausewhenthespeechisaddressedtoone，hemayinterrupthimandexaminehisreasonsmorerigorouslythancanbedoneinamultitude；whicharetoomanytoenterintodisputeanddialoguewithhimthatspeakethindifferentlytothemallatonce。
Thirdly，thattheythatexhortanddehort，wheretheyarerequiredtogivecounsel，arecorruptcounsellorsand，asitwere，bribedbytheirowninterest。Forthoughthecounseltheygivebeneversogood，yethethatgivesitisnomoreagoodcounsellorthanhethatgivethajustsentenceforarewardisajustjudge。Butwhereamanmaylawfullycommand，asafatherinhisfamily，oraleaderinanarmy，hisexhortationsanddehortationsarenotonlylawful，butalsonecessaryandlaudable：butwhentheyarenomorecounsels，butcommands；whichwhentheyareforexecutionofsourlabour，sometimesnecessity，andalwayshumanity，requirethtobesweetenedinthedeliverybyencouragement，andinthetuneandphraseofcounselratherthaninharsherlanguageofcommand。
ExamplesofthedifferencebetweencommandandcounselwemaytakefromtheformsofspeechthatexpresstheminHolyScripture。“HavenootherGodsbutme“；“Maketothyselfnogravenimage“；“TakenotGod’snameinvain“；“SanctifytheSabbath“；“Honourthyparents“；“Killnot“；“Stealnot，“etc。arecommands，becausethereasonforwhichwearetoobeythemisdrawnfromthewillofGodourKing，whomweareobligedtoobey。Butthesewords，“Sellallthouhast；giveittothepoor；andfollowme，“arecounsel，becausethereasonforwhichwearetodosoisdrawnfromourownbenefit，whichisthis；thatweshallhave“treasureinHeaven。“Thesewords，“Gointothevillageoveragainstyou，andyoushallfindanasstied，andhercolt；looseher，andbringhertome，“areacommand；forthereasonoftheirfactisdrawnfromthewilloftheirmaster：butthesewords，“Repent，andbebaptizedinthenameofJesus，“arecounsel；becausethereasonwhyweshouldsodotendethnottoanybenefitofGodAlmighty，whoshallstillbeKinginwhatmannersoeverwerebel，butofourselves，whohavenoothermeansofavoidingthepunishmenthangingoverusforoursins。
Asthedifferenceofcounselfromcommandhathbeennowdeducedfromthenatureofcounsel，consistinginadeducingofthebenefitorhurtthatmayarisetohimthatistobetobecounselled，bythenecessaryorprobableconsequencesoftheactionhepropoundeth；somayalsothedifferencesbetweenaptandineptcounsellorsbederivedfromthesame。Forexperience，beingbutmemoryoftheconsequencesoflikeactionsformerlyobserved，andcounselbutthespeechwherebythatexperienceismadeknowntoanother，thevirtuesanddefectsofcounselarethesamewiththevirtuesanddefectsintellectual：andtothepersonofaCommonwealth，hiscounsellorsservehimintheplaceofmemoryandmentaldiscourse。ButwiththisresemblanceoftheCommonwealthtoanaturalman，thereisonedissimilitudejoined，ofgreatimportance；whichisthatanaturalmanreceivethhisexperiencefromthenaturalobjectsofsense，whichworkuponhimwithoutpassionorinterestoftheirown；whereastheythatgivecounseltotherepresentativepersonofaCommonwealthmayhave，andhaveoften，theirparticularendsandpassionsthatrendertheircounselsalwayssuspected，andmanytimesunfaithful。Andthereforewemaysetdownforthefirstconditionofagoodcounsellor：thathisendsandinterestbenotinconsistentwiththeendsandinterestofhimhecounselleth。
Secondly，becausetheofficeofacounsellor，whenanactioncomesintodeliberation，istomakemanifesttheconsequencesofitinsuchmannerashethatiscounselledmaybetrulyandevidentlyinformed，heoughttopropoundhisadviceinsuchformofspeechasmaymakethetruthmostevidentlyappear；thatistosay，withasfirmratiocination，assignificantandproperlanguage，andasbriefly，astheevidencewillpermit。Andthereforerashandunevidentinferences，suchasarefetchedonlyfromexamples，orauthorityofbooks，andarenotargumentsofwhatisgoodorevil，butwitnessesoffactorofopinion；obscure，confused，andambiguousexpressions；alsoallmetaphoricalspeechestendingtothestirringupofpassionbecausesuchreasoningandsuchexpressionsareusefulonlytodeceiveortoleadhimwecounseltowardsotherendsthanhisown，arerepugnanttotheofficeofacounsellor。
Thirdly，becausetheabilityofcounsellingproceedethfromexperienceandlongstudy，andnomanispresumedtohaveexperienceinallthosethingsthattotheadministrationofagreatCommonwealtharenecessarytobeknown，nomanispresumedtobeagoodcounsellorbutinsuchbusinessashehathnotonlybeenmuchversedin，buthathalsomuchmeditatedonandconsidered。ForseeingthebusinessofaCommonwealthisthis；topreservethepeopleinpeaceathome，anddefendthemagainstforeigninvasion；weshallfinditrequiresgreatknowledgeofthedispositionofmankind，oftherightsofgovernment，andofthenatureofequity，law，justice，andhonour，nottobeattainedwithoutstudy；andofthestrength，commodities，places，bothoftheirowncountryandtheirneighbours’；asalsooftheinclinationsanddesignsofallnationsthatmayanywayannoythem。Andthisisnotattainedtowithoutmuchexperience。Ofwhichthings，notonlythewholesum，buteveryoneoftheparticularsrequirestheageandobservationofamaninyears，andofmorethanordinarystudy。Thewitrequiredforcounsel，asIhavesaidbeforeChapterVIII，isjudgement。Andthedifferencesofmeninthatpointcomefromdifferenteducation；ofsome，toonekindofstudyorbusiness，andofothers，toanother。
Whenforthedoingofanythingtherebeinfalliblerulesasinenginesandedifices，therulesofgeometry，alltheexperienceoftheworldcannotequalhiscounselthathaslearnedorfoundouttherule。Andwhenthereisnosuchrule，hethathathmostexperienceinthatparticularkindofbusinesshasthereinthebestjudgement，andisthebestcounsellor。
Fourthly，tobeabletogivecounseltoaCommonwealth，inabusinessthathathreferencetoanotherCommonwealth，itisnecessarytobeacquaintedwiththeintelligencesandlettersthatcomefromthence，andwithalltherecordsoftreatiesandothertransactionsofstatebetweenthem；whichnonecandobutsuchastherepresentativeshallthinkfit。Bywhichwemayseethattheywhoarenotcalledtocounselcanhavenogoodcounselinsuchcasestoobtrude。
Fifthly，supposingthenumberofcounsellorsequal，amanisbettercounselledbyhearingthemapartthaninanassembly；andthatformanycauses。First，inhearingthemapart，youhavetheadviceofeveryman；butinanassemblymanyofthemdelivertheiradvicewithayeorno，orwiththeirhandsorfeet，notmovedbytheirownsense，butbytheeloquenceofanother，orforfearofdispleasingsomethathavespoken，orthewholebycontradiction，orforfearofappearingdullerinapprehensionthanthosethathaveapplaudedthecontraryopinion。Secondly，inanassemblyofmanytherecannotchoosebutbesomeinterestsarecontrarytothatofthepublic；andthesetheirinterestsmakepassionate，andpassioneloquent，andeloquencedrawsothersintothesameadvice。Forthepassionsofmen，whichasunderaremoderate，astheheatofonebrand；inassemblyarelikemanybrandsthatinflameoneanotherespeciallywhentheyblowoneanotherwithorationstothesettingoftheCommonwealthonfire，underpretenceofcounsellingit。Thirdly，inhearingeverymanapart，onemayexamine，whenthereisneed，thetruthorprobabilityofhisreasons，andofthegroundsoftheadvicehegives，byfrequentinterruptionsandobjections；whichcannotbedoneinanassembly，whereineverydifficultquestionamanisratherastoniedanddazzledwiththevarietyofdiscourseuponit，thaninformedofthecourseheoughttotake。Besides，therecannotbeanassemblyofmany，calledtogetherforadvice，whereintherebenotsomethathavetheambitiontheambitiontobethoughteloquent，andalsolearnedinthepolitics；andgivenottheiradvicewithcareofthebusinesspropounded，butoftheapplauseoftheirmotleyorations，madeofthediversecoloredthreadsorshredsofthreadorshredsofauthors；whichisanimpertinence，atleast，thattakesawaythetimeofseriousconsultation，andinthesecretwayofcounsellingapartiseasilyavoided。Fourthly，indeliberationsthatoughttobekeptsecret，whereoftherebemanyoccasionsinpublicbusiness，thecounselsofmany，andespeciallyinassemblies，aredangerous；andthereforegreatassembliesarenecessitatedtocommitsuchaffairstolessernumbers，andofsuchpersonsasaremostversed，andinwhosefidelitytheyhavemostconfidence。
Toconclude，whoistherethatsofarapprovesfarapprovesthetakingofcounselfromagreatassemblyofcounsellors，thatwishethfor，orwouldacceptoftheirpains，whenthereisaquestionofmarryinghischildren，disposingofhislands，governinghishousehold，ormanaginghisprivateestate，especiallyiftherebeamongstthemsuchaswishnothisprosperity？Amanthatdothhisbusinessbythehelpofmanyprudentcounsellors，witheveryoneconsultingapartinhisproperelement，doesitbest；ashethatusethablesecondsattennisplay，placedintheirproperstations。Hedoesnextbestthatusethhisownjudgementonly；ashethathasnosecondatall。Buthethatiscarriedupanddowntohisbusinessinaframedcounsel，whichcannotmovebutbythepluralityofconsentingopinions，theexecutionwhereofiscommonly，outofenvyorinterest，retardedbythepartdissenting，doesitworstofall，andlikeonethatiscarriedtotheball，thoughbygoodplayers，yetinawheelbarrow，orotherframe，heavyofitself，andretardedbythealsobytheinconcurrentjudgementsandendeavoursofthemthatdriveit；
andsomuchthemore，astheybemorethatsettheirhandstoit；
andmostofall，whenthereisoneormoreamongstthemthatdesiretohavehimlose。Andthoughitbetruethatmanyeyesseemorethanone，yetitisnottobeunderstoodofmanycounsellors，butthenonlywhenthefinalresolutionisinoneinoneman。Otherwise，becausemanyeyesseethesamethingindiverselines，andareapttolookasquinttowardstheirprivatebenefit；theythatdesirenottomisstheirmark，thoughtheylookaboutwithtwoeyes，yettheyneveraimbutwithone：andthereforenogreatpopularCommonwealthwaseverkeptup，buteitherbyaforeignenemythatunitedthem；orbythereputationofsomeoneeminentmanamongstthem；orbythesecretcounselofafew；orbythemutualfearofequalfactions；andnotbytheopenconsultationsoftheassembly。AndasforverylittleCommonwealths，betheypopularormonarchical，thereisnohumanwisdomcanupholdthemlongerthanthejealousylastethoftheirpotentneighbours。