Thereisalsoanotherdistinctionoflawsintofundamentalandnotfundamental：butIcouldneverseeinanyauthorwhatafundamentallawsignifieth。Neverthelessonemayveryreasonablydistinguishlawsinthatmanner。
ForafundamentallawineveryCommonwealthisthatwhich，beingtakenaway，theCommonwealthfailethandisutterlydissolved，asabuildingwhosefoundationisdestroyed。Andthereforeafundamentallawisthatbywhichsubjectsareboundtoupholdwhatsoeverpowerisgiventothesovereign，whetheramonarchorasovereignassembly，withoutwhichtheCommonwealthcannotstand；suchasisthepowerofwarandpeace，ofjudicature，ofelectionofofficers，andofdoingwhatsoeverheshallthinknecessaryforthepublicgood。Notfundamentalisthat，theabrogatingwhereofdrawethnotwithitthedissolutionoftheCommonwealth；suchasarethelawsconcerningcontroversiesbetweensubjectandsubject。Thusmuchofthedivisionoflaws。
Ifindthewordslexcivilisandjuscivile，thatistosay，andlawandrightcivil，promiscuouslyusedforthesamething，eveninthemostlearnedauthors；whichneverthelessoughtnottobeso。Forrightisliberty，namelythatlibertywhichthecivillawleavesus：butcivillawisanobligation，andtakesfromusthelibertywhichthelawofnaturegaveus。Naturegavearighttoeverymantosecurehimselfbyhisownstrength，andtoinvadeasuspectedneighbourbywayofprevention：butthecivillawtakesawaythatliberty，inallcaseswheretheprotectionofthelawmaybesafelystayedfor。
Insomuchaslexandjusareasdifferentasobligationandliberty。
Likewiselawsandchartersaretakenpromiscuouslyforthesamething。Yetchartersaredonationsofthesovereign；andnotlaws，butexemptionsfromlaw。Thephraseofalawisjubeo，injungo；I
commandandenjoin：thephraseofacharterisdedi，concessi；I
havegiven，Ihavegranted：butwhatisgivenorgrantedtoamanisnotforceduponhimbyalaw。AlawmaybemadetobindallthesubjectsofaCommonwealth：alibertyorcharterisonlytoonemanorsomeonepartofthepeople。FortosayallthepeopleofaCommonwealthhavelibertyinanycasewhatsoeveristosaythat，insuchcase，therehathbeennolawmade；orelse，havingbeenmade，isnowabrogated。
Asinisnotonlyatransgressionofalaw，butalsoanycontemptofthelegislator。Forsuchcontemptisabreachofallhislawsatonce，andthereforemayconsist，notonlyinthecommissionofafact，orinthespeakingofwordsbythelawsforbidden，orintheomissionofwhatthelawcommandeth，butalsointheintentionorpurposetotransgress。Forthepurposetobreakthelawissomedegreeofcontemptofhimtowhomitbelongedtoseeitexecuted。Tobedelightedintheimaginationonlyofbeingpossessedofanotherman’sgoods，servants，orwife，withoutanyintentiontotakethemfromhimbyforceorfraud，isnobreachofthelaw，thatsaith，“Thoushaltnotcovet“：noristhepleasureamanmayhaveinimaginingordreamingofthedeathofhimfromwhoselifeheexpectethnothingbutdamageanddispleasure，asin；buttheresolvingtoputsomeactinexecutionthattendeththereto。Fortobepleasedinthefictionofthatwhichwouldpleaseamanifitwererealisapassionsoadherenttothenaturebothofmanandeveryotherlivingcreature，astomakeitasinweretomakesinofbeingaman。Thconsiderationofthishasmademethinkthemtoosevere，bothtothemselvesandothers，thatmaintainthatthefirstmotionsofthemind，thoughcheckedwiththefearofGod，besins。ButIconfessitissafertoerronthathandthanontheother。
Acrimeisasinconsistinginthecommittingbydeedorwordofthatwhichthelawforbiddeth，ortheomissionofwhatithathcommanded。Sothateverycrimeisasin；butnoteverysinacrime。Tointendtostealorkillisasin，thoughitneverappearinwordorfact：forGodthatseeththethoughtofmancanlayittohischarge：buttillitappearbysomethingdone，orsaid，bywhichtheintentionmaybearguedbyahumanjudge，ithathnotthenameofcrime：whichdistinctiontheGreeksobservedinthewordamartemaandegklemaoraitia；whereoftheformerwhichistranslatedsin
signifiethanyswervingfromthelawwhatsoever；butthetwolatterwhicharetranslatedcrimesignifythatsinonlywhereofonemanmayaccuseanother。Butofintentions，whichneverappearbyanyoutwardact，thereisnoplaceforhumanaccusation。InlikemannertheLatinsbypeccatum，whichissin，signifyallmannerofdeviationfromthelaw；butbycrimenwhichwordtheyderivefromcerno，whichsignifiestoperceivetheymeanonlysuchsinsasmaybemadeappearbeforeajudge，andthereforearenotmereintentions。
Fromthisrelationofsintothelaw，andofcrimetothecivillaw，maybeinferred，first，thatwherelawceaseth，sinceaseth。Butbecausethelawofnatureiseternal，violationofcovenants，ingratitude，arrogance，andallfactscontrarytoanymoralvirtuecanneverceasetobesin。Secondly，thatthecivillawceasing，crimescease：fortherebeingnootherlawremainingbutthatofnature，thereisnoplaceforaccusation；everymanbeinghisownjudge，andaccusedonlybyhisownconscience，andclearedbytheuprightnessofhisownintention。Whenthereforehisintentionisright，hisfactisnosin；ifotherwise，hisfactissin，butnotcrime。Thirdly，thatwhenthesovereignpowerceaseth，crimealsoceaseth：forwherethereisnosuchpower，thereisnoprotectiontobehadfromthelaw；
andthereforeeveryonemayprotecthimselfbyhisownpower：fornomanintheinstitutionofsovereignpowercanbesupposedtogiveawaytherightofpreservinghisownbody，forthesafetywhereofallsovereigntywasordained。Butthisistobeunderstoodonlyofthosethathavenotthemselvescontributedtothetakingawayofthepowerthatprotectedthem：forthatwasacrimefromthebeginning。
Thesourceofeverycrimeissomedefectoftheunderstanding，orsomeerrorinreasoning，orsomesuddenforceofthepassions。
Defectintheunderstandingisignorance；inreasoning，erroneousopinion。Again，ignoranceisofthreesorts；ofthelaw，andofthesovereign，andofthepenalty。Ignoranceofthelawofnatureexcusethnoman，becauseeverymanthathathattainedtotheuseofreasonissupposedtoknowheoughtnottodotoanotherwhathewouldnothavedonetohimself。Thereforeintowhatplacesoeveramanshallcome，ifhedoanythingcontrarytothatlaw，itisacrime。IfamancomefromtheIndieshither，andpersuademenheretoreceiveanewreligion，orteachthemanythingthattendethtodisobedienceofthelawsofthiscountry，thoughhebeneversowellpersuadedofthetruthofwhatheteacheth，hecommitsacrime，andmaybejustlypunishedforthesame，notonlybecausehisdoctrineisfalse，butalsobecausehedoesthatwhichhewouldnotapproveinanother；
namely，thatcomingfromhence，heshouldendeavourtoalterthereligionthere。Butignoranceofthecivillawshallexcuseamaninastrangecountrytillitbedeclaredtohim，becausetillthennocivillawisbinding。
Inthelikemanner，ifthecivillawofaman’sowncountrybenotsosufficientlydeclaredashemayknowitifhewill；northeactionagainstthelawofnature；theignoranceisagoodexcuse：inothercasesignoranceofthecivillawexcusethnot。
Ignoranceofthesovereignpowertheplaceofaman’sordinaryresidenceexcusethhimnot，becauseheoughttotakenoticeofthepowerbywhichhehathbeenprotectedthere。
Ignoranceofthepenalty，wherethelawisdeclared，excusethnoman：forinbreakingthelaw，whichwithoutafearofpenaltytofollowwerenotalaw，butvainwords，heundergoeththepenalty，thoughheknownotwhatitis；becausewhosoevervoluntarilydothanyaction，acceptethalltheknownconsequencesofit；butpunishmentisaknownconsequenceoftheviolationofthelawsineveryCommonwealth；whichpunishment，ifitbedeterminedalreadybythelaw，heissubjecttothat；ifnot，thenishesubjecttoarbitrarypunishment。Foritisreasonthathewhichdoesinjury，withoutotherlimitationthanthatofhisownwill，shouldsufferpunishmentwithoutotherlimitationthanthatofhiswillwhoselawistherebyviolated。
Butwhenapenaltyiseitherannexedtothecrimeinthelawitself，orhathbeenusuallyinflictedinthelikecases，therethedelinquentisexcusedfromagreaterpenalty。Forthepunishmentforeknown，ifnotgreatenoughtodetermenfromtheaction，isaninvitementtoit：
becausewhenmencomparethebenefitoftheirinjusticewiththeharmoftheirpunishment，bynecessityofnaturetheychoosethatwhichappearethbestforthemselves：andthereforewhentheyarepunishedmorethanthelawhadformerlydetermined，ormorethanotherswerepunishedforthesamecrime，itisthelawthattemptedanddeceiveththem。
Nolawmadeafterafactdonecanmakeitacrime：becauseifthefactbeagainstthelawofnature，thelawwasbeforethefact；andapositivelawcannotbetakennoticeofbeforeitbemade，andthereforecannotbeobligatory。Butwhenthelawthatforbiddethafactismadebeforethefactbedone，yethethatdoththefactisliabletothepenaltyordainedafter，incasenolesserpenaltyweremadeknownbefore，neitherbywritingnorbyexample，forthereasonimmediatelybeforealleged。
Fromdefectinreasoningthatistosay，fromerror，menarepronetoviolatethelawsthreeways。First，bypresumptionoffalseprinciples：aswhenmen，fromhavingobservedhowinallplacesandinallagesunjustactionshavebeenauthorisedbytheforceandvictoriesofthosewhohavecommittedthem；andthat，potentmenbreakingthroughthecobweblawsoftheircountry，theweakersortandthosethathavefailedintheirenterpriseshavebeenesteemedtheonlycriminals；havethereupontakenforprinciplesandgroundsoftheirreasoningthatjusticeisbutavainword：thatwhatsoeveramancangetbyhisownindustryandhazardishisown：thatthepracticeofallnationscannotbeunjust：thatexamplesofformertimesaregoodargumentsofdoingthelikeagain；andmanymoreofthatkind：
whichbeinggranted，noactinitselfcanbeacrime，butmustbemadeso，notbythelaw，butbythesuccessofthemthatcommitit；andthesamefactbevirtuousorviciousfortunepleaseth；sothatwhatMariusmakesacrime，Syllashallmakemeritorious，andCaesarthesamelawsstandingturnagainintoacrime，totheperpetualdisturbanceofthepeaceoftheCommonwealth。
Secondly，byfalseteachersthateithermisinterpretthelawofnature，makingittherebyrepugnanttothelawcivil，orbyteachingforlawssuchdoctrinesoftheirown，ortraditionsofformertimes，asareinconsistentwiththedutyofasubject。
Thirdly，byerroneousinferencesfromtrueprinciples；whichhappenscommonlytomenthatarehastyandprecipitateinconcludingandresolvingwhattodo；suchasaretheythathavebothagreatopinionoftheirownunderstandingandbelievethatthingsofthisnaturerequirenottimeandstudy，butonlycommonexperienceandagoodnaturalwit，whereofnomanthinkshimselfunprovided：whereastheknowledgeofrightandwrong，whichisnolessdifficult，thereisnomanwillpretendtowithoutgreatandlongstudy。Andofthosedefectsinreasoning，thereisnonethatcanexcuse，thoughsomeofthemmayextenuate，acrimeinanymanthatpretendethtotheadministrationofhisownprivatebusiness；muchlessinthemthatundertakeapubliccharge，becausetheypretendtothereasonuponthewantwhereoftheywouldgroundtheirexcuse。
Ofthepassionsthatmostfrequentlyarethecausesofcrime，oneisvainglory，orafoolishoverratingoftheirownworth；asifdifferenceofworthwereaneffectoftheirwit，orriches，orblood，orsomeothernaturalquality，notdependingonthewillofthosethathavethesovereignauthority。Fromwhenceproceedethapresumptionthatthepunishmentsordainedbythelaws，andextendedgenerallytoallsubjects，oughtnottobeinflictedonthemwiththesamerigortheyareinflictedonpoor，obscure，andsimplemen，comprehendedunderthenameofthevulgar。
Thereforeithappenethcommonlythatsuchasvaluethemselvesbythegreatnessoftheirwealthadventureoncrimes，uponhopeofescapingpunishmentbycorruptingpublicjustice，orobtainingpardonbymoneyorotherrewards。