BYcivillaws，Iunderstandthelawsthatmenarethereforeboundtoobserve，becausetheyaremembers，notofthisorthatCommonwealthinparticular，butofaCommonwealth。Fortheknowledgeofparticularlawsbelongethtothemthatprofessthestudyofthelawsoftheirseveralcountries；buttheknowledgeofcivillawingeneral，toanyman。TheancientlawofRomewascalledtheircivillaw，fromthewordcivitas，whichsignifiesaCommonwealth：andthosecountrieswhich，havingbeenundertheRomanEmpireandgovernedbythatlaw，retainstillsuchpartthereofastheythinkfit，callthatpartthecivillawtodistinguishitfromtherestoftheirowncivillaws。ButthatisnotitIintendtospeakofhere；mydesignbeingnottoshowwhatislawhereandthere，butwhatislaw；asPlato，Aristotle，Cicero，anddiverseothershavedone，withouttakinguponthemtheprofessionofthestudyofthelaw。
Andfirstitismanifestthatlawingeneralisnotcounsel，butcommand；noracommandofanymantoanyman，butonlyofhimwhosecommandisaddressedtooneformerlyobligedtoobeyhim。Andasforcivillaw，itaddethonlythenameofthepersoncommanding，whichispersonacivitatis，thepersonoftheCommonwealth。
Whichconsidered，Idefinecivillawinthismanner。CivillawistoeverysubjectthoseruleswhichtheCommonwealthhathcommandedhim，byword，writing，orothersufficientsignofthewill，tomakeuseofforthedistinctionofrightandwrong；thatistosay，ofthatiscontraryandwhatisnotcontrarytotherule。
Inwhichdefinitionthereisnothingthatisthatisnotatfirstsightevident。Foreverymanseeththatsomelawsareaddressedtoallthesubjectsingeneral；sometoparticularprovinces；sometoparticularvocations；andsometoparticularmen；andarethereforelawstoeveryofthosetowhomthecommandisdirected，andtononeelse。Asalso，thatlawsaretherulesofjustandunjust，nothingbeingreputedunjustthatisnotcontrarytosomelaw。Likewise，thatnonecanmakelawsbuttheCommonwealth，becauseoursubjectionistotheCommonwealthonly；andthatcommandsaretobesignifiedbysufficientsigns，becauseamanknowsnototherwisehowtoobeythem。Andtherefore，whatsoevercanfromthisdefinitionbynecessaryconsequencebededuced，oughttobeacknowledgedfortruth。NowIdeducefromitthisthatfolloweth。
1。ThelegislatorinallCommonwealthsisonlythesovereign，beheoneman，asinamonarchy，oroneassemblyofmen，asinademocracyoraristocracy。Forthelegislatorishethatmakeththelaw。AndtheCommonwealthonlyprescribesandcommandeththeobservationofthoseruleswhichwecalllaw：thereforetheCommonwealthisthelegislator。ButtheCommonwealthisnoperson，norhascapacitytodoanythingbutbytherepresentative，thatis，thesovereign；andthereforethesovereignisthesolelegislator。Forthesamereason，nonecanabrogatealawmade，butthesovereign，becausealawisnotabrogatedbutbyanotherlawthatforbiddethittobeputinexecution。
2。ThesovereignofaCommonwealth，beitanassemblyoroneman，isnotsubjecttothecivillaws。Forhavingpowertomakeandrepeallaws，hemay，whenhepleaseth，freehimselffromthatsubjectionbyrepealingthoselawsthattroublehim，andmakingofnew；andconsequentlyhewasfreebefore。Forheisfreethatcanbefreewhenhewill：norisitpossibleforanypersontobeboundtohimself，becausehethatcanbindcanrelease；andthereforehethatisboundtohimselfonlyisnotbound。
3。Whenlonguseobtaineththeauthorityofalaw，itisnotthelengthoftimethatmakeththeauthority，butthewillofthesovereignsignifiedbyhissilenceforsilenceissometimesansignifiedbyhissilenceforsilenceissometimesanargumentofconsent；anditisnolongerlaw，thanthesovereignshallbesilenttherein。Andthereforeifthesovereignshallhaveaquestionofrightgrounded，notuponhispresentwill，butuponthelawsformerlymade，thelengthoftimeshallbringnoprejudicetohisright：butthequestionshallbejudgedbyequity。Formanyunjustactionsandunjustsentencesgouncontrolledalongertimethananymancanremember。Andourlawyersaccountnocustomslawbutsuchasreasonable，andthatevilcustomsaretobeabolished：butthejudgementofwhatisreasonable，andofwhatistobeabolished，belongedtohimthatmakeththelaw，whichisthesovereignassemblyormonarch。
4。Thelawofnatureandthecivillawcontaineachotherandareofequalextent。Forthelawsofnature，whichconsistinequity，justice，gratitude，andothermoralvirtuesonthesedepending，intheconditionofmerenatureasIhavesaidbeforeintheendofthefifteenthChapter，arenotproperlylaws，butqualitiesthatdisposementopeaceandtoobedience。WhenaCommonwealthisoncesettled，thenaretheyactuallylaws，andnotbefore；asbeingthenthecommandsoftheCommonwealth；andthereforealsocivillaws：foritisthesovereignpowerthatobligesmentoobeythem。Forthedifferencesofprivatemen，todeclarewhatisequity，whatisjustice，andismoralvirtue，andtomakethembinding，thereisneedoftheordinancesofsovereignpower，andpunishmentstobeordainedforsuchasshallbreakthem；whichordinancesarethereforepartofthecivillaw。ThelawofnaturethereforeisapartofthecivillawinallCommonwealthsoftheworld。Reciprocallyalso，thecivillawisapartofthedictatesofnature。Forjustice，thatistosay，performanceofcovenant，andgivingtoeverymanhisown，isadictateofthelawofnature。ButeverysubjectinaCommonwealthhathcovenantedtoobeythecivillaw；eitheronewithanother，aswhentheyassembletomakeacommonrepresentative，orwiththerepresentativeitselfonebyonewhen，subduedbythesword，theypromiseobediencethattheymayreceivelife；andthereforeobediencetothecivillawispartalsoofthelawofnature。Civilandnaturallawarenotdifferentkinds，butdifferentpartsoflaw；
whereofonepart，beingwritten，iscalledciviltheotherunwritten，natural。Buttherightofnature，thatis，thenaturallibertyofman，maybythecivillawbeabridgedandrestrained：
nay，theendofmakinglawsisnootherbutsuchrestraint，withoutwhichtherecannotpossiblybeanypeace。Andlawwasbroughtintotheworldfornothingelsebuttolimitthenaturallibertyofparticularmeninsuchmannerastheymightnothurt，butassistoneanother，andjointogetheragainstacommonenemy。
5。IfthesovereignofoneCommonwealthsubdueapeoplethathavelivedunderotherwrittenlaws，andafterwardsgovernthembythesamelawsbywhichtheyweregovernedbefore，yetthoselawsarethecivillawsofthevictor，andnotofthevanquishedCommonwealth。
Forthelegislatorishe，notbywhoseauthoritythelawswerefirstmade，butbywhoseauthoritytheynowcontinuetobelaws。AndthereforewheretherebediverseprovinceswithinthedominionofaCommonwealth，andinthoseprovincesdiversityoflaws，whichcommonlyarecalledthecustomsofeachseveralprovince，wearenottounderstandthatsuchcustomshavetheirforceonlyfromlengthoftime；butthattheywereancientlylawswritten，orotherwisemadeknown，fortheconstitutionsandstatutesoftheirsovereigns；andarenowlaws，notbyvirtueoftheprescriptionoftime，butbytheconstitutionsoftheirpresentsovereigns。Butifanunwrittenlaw，inalltheprovincesofadominion，shallbegenerallyobserved，andnoiniquityappearintheusethereof，thatlawcanbenootherbutalawofnature，equallyobligingallmankind。
6。Seeingthenalllaws，writtenandunwritten，havetheirauthorityandforcefromthewilloftheCommonwealth；thatistosay，fromthewilloftherepresentative，whichinamonarchyisthemonarch，andinotherCommonwealthsthesovereignassembly；amanmaywonderfromwhenceproceedsuchopinionsasarefoundinthebooksoflawyersofeminenceinseveralCommonwealths，directlyorbyconsequencemakingthelegislativepowerdependonprivatemenorsubordinatejudges。Asforexample，thatthecommonlawhathnocontrollerbuttheParliament；whichistrueonlywhereaparliamenthasthesovereignpower，andcannotbeassemblednordissolved，butbytheirowndiscretion。Foriftherebearightinanyelsetodissolvethem，thereisarightalsotocontrolthem，andconsequentlytocontroltheircontrollings。Andiftherebenosuchright，thenthecontrolleroflawsisnotparlamentum，butrexinparlamento。Andwhereaparliamentissovereign，ifitshouldassembleneversomanyorsowisemenfromthecountriessubjecttothem，forwhatsoevercause，yetthereisnomanwillbelievethatsuchanassemblyhaththerebyacquiredtothemselvesalegislativepower。Item，thatthetwoarmsofaCommonwealthareforceandjustice；thefirstwhereofisintheking，theotherdepositedinthehandsoftheParliament。AsifaCommonwealthcouldconsistwheretheforcewereinanyhandwhichjusticehadnottheauthoritytocommandandgovern。
7。Thatlawcanneverbeagainstreason，ourlawyersareagreed：andthatnottheletterthatis，everyconstructionofit，butthatwhichisaccordingtotheintentionofthelegislator，isthelaw。Anditistrue：butthedoubtisofwhosereasonitisthatshallbereceivedforlaw。Itisnotmeantofanyprivatereason；forthentherewouldbeasmuchcontradictioninthelawsasthereisintheSchools；noryet，asSirEdwardCokemakesit，an“Artificialperfectionofreason，gottenbylongstudy，observation，andexperience，“ashiswas。Foritispossiblelongstudymayincreaseandconfirmerroneoussentences：andwheremenbuildonfalsegrounds，themoretheybuild，thegreateristheruin：andofthosethatstudyandobservewithequaltimeanddiligence，thereasonsandresolutionsare，andmustremain，discordant：andthereforeitisnotthatjurisprudentia，orwisdomofsubordinatejudges，butthereasonofthisourartificialmantheCommonwealth，andhiscommand，thatmakethlaw：andtheCommonwealthbeingintheirrepresentativebutoneperson，therecannoteasilyariseanycontradictioninthelaws；andwhentheredoth，thesamereasonisable，byinterpretationoralteration，totakeitaway。Inallcourtsofjustice，thesovereignwhichisthepersonoftheCommonwealthishethatjudgeth：thesubordinatejudgeoughttohaveregardtothereasonwhichmovedhissovereigntomakesuchlaw，thathissentencemaybeaccordingthereunto，whichthenishissovereignssentence；
otherwiseitishisown，andanunjustone。
8。Fromthis，thatthelawisacommand，andacommandconsistethindeclarationormanifestationofthewillofhimthatcommandeth，byvoice，writing，orsomeothersufficientargumentofthesame，wemayunderstandthatthecommandoftheCommonwealthislawonlytothosethathavemeanstotakenoticeofit。Overnaturalfools，children，ormadmenthereisnolaw，nomorethanoverbrutebeasts；
noraretheycapableofthetitleofjustorunjust，becausetheyhadneverpowertomakeanycovenantortounderstandtheconsequencesthereof，andconsequentlynevertookuponthemtoauthorizetheactionsofanysovereign，astheymustdothatmaketothemselvesaCommonwealth。Andasthosefromwhomnatureoraccidenthathtakenawaythenoticeofalllawsingeneral；soalsoeveryman，fromwhomanyaccidentnotproceedingfromhisowndefault，hathtakenawaythemeanstotakenoticeofanyparticularlaw，isexcusedifheobserveitnot；andtospeakproperly，thatlawisnolawtohim。Itisthereforenecessarytoconsiderinthisplacewhatargumentsandsignsbesufficientfortheknowledgeofwhatisthelaw；thatistosay，whatisthewillofthesovereign，aswellinmonarchiesasinotherformsofgovernment。
Andfirst，ifitbealawthatobligesallthesubjectswithoutexception，andisnotwritten，norotherwisepublishedinsuchplacesastheymaytakenoticethereof，itisalawofnature。Forwhatevermenaretotakeknowledgeofforlaw，notuponothermen’swords，buteveryonefromhisownreason，mustbesuchasisagreeabletothereasonofallmen；whichnolawcanbe，butthelawofnature。Thelawsofnaturethereforeneednotanypublishingnorproclamation；asbeingcontainedinthisonesentence，approvedbyalltheworld，Donotthattoanotherwhichthouthinkestunreasonabletobedonebyanothertothyself。
Secondly，ifitbealawthatobligesonlysomeconditionofmen，oroneparticularman，andbenotwritten，norpublishedbyword，thenalsoitisalawofnature，andknownbythesameargumentsandsignsthatdistinguishthoseinsuchaconditionfromothersubjects。Forwhatsoeverlawisnotwritten，orsomewaypublishedbyhimthatmakesitlaw，canbeknownnowaybutbythereasonofhimthatistoobeyit；andisthereforealsoalawnotonlycivil，butnatural。Forexample，ifthesovereignemployapublicminister，withoutwritteninstructionswhattodo，heisobligedtotakeforinstructionsthedictatesofreason：asifhemakeajudge，thejudgeistotakenoticethathissentenceoughttobeaccordingtothereasonofhissovereign，whichbeingalwaysunderstoodtobeequity，heisboundtoitbythelawofnature：orifanambassador，heis，inallthingsnotcontainedinhiswritteninstructions，totakeforinstructionthatwhichreasondictatestobemostconducingtohissovereign’sinterest；andsoofallotherministersofthesovereignty，publicandprivate。Allwhichinstructionsofnaturalreasonmaybecomprehendedunderonenameoffidelity，whichisabranchofnaturaljustice。