Thebenefitswhichasovereignbestowethonasubject，forfearofsomepowerandabilityhehathtodohurttotheCommonwealth，arenotproperlyrewards：fortheyarenotsalaries，becausethereisinthiscasenocontractsupposed，everymanbeingobligedalreadynottodotheCommonwealthdisservice：noraretheygraces，becausetheybeextortedbyfear，whichoughtnottobeincidenttothesovereignpower：butarerathersacrifices，whichthesovereign，consideredinhisnaturalperson，andnotinthepersonoftheCommonwealth，makesfortheappeasingthediscontentofhimhethinksmorepotentthanhimself；andencouragenottoobedience，but，onthecontrary，tothecontinuanceandincreasingoffurtherextortion。
Andwhereassomesalariesarecertain，andproceedfromthepublictreasury；andothersuncertainandcasual，proceedingfromtheexecutionoftheofficeforwhichthesalaryisordained；thelatterisinsomecaseshurtfultotheCommonwealth，asinthecaseofjudicature。Forwherethebenefitofthejudges，andministersofacourtofjustice，arisethforthemultitudeofcausesthatarebroughttotheircognizance，theremustneedsfollowtwoinconveniences：oneisthenourishingofsuits；forthemoresuits，thegreaterbenefit：
andanotherthatdependsonthat，whichiscontentionwhichisaboutjurisdiction；eachcourtdrawingtoitselfasmanycausesasitcan。
Butinofficesofexecutiontherearenotthoseinconveniences，becausetheiremploymentcannotbeincreasedbyanyendeavouroftheirown。Andthusmuchshallsufficeforthenatureofpunishmentandreward；whichare，asitwere，thenervesandtendonsthatmovethelimbsandjointsofaCommonwealth。
HithertoIhavesetforththenatureofman，whoseprideandotherpassionshavecompelledhimtosubmithimselftogovernment；
togetherwiththegreatpowerofhisgovernor，whomIcomparedtoLEVIATHAN，takingthatcomparisonoutofthetwolastversesoftheone-and-fortiethofJob；whereGod，havingsetforththegreatpowerofLeviathan，callethhimkingoftheproud。“Thereisnothing，“saithhe，“onearthtobecomparedwithhim。Heismadesoasnottobeafraid。Heseetheveryhighthingbelowhim；andiskingofallthechildrenofpride。“Butbecauseheismortal，andsubjecttodecay，asallotherearthlycreaturesare；andbecausethereisthatinheaven，thoughnotonearth，thatheshouldstandinfearof，andwhoselawsheoughttoobey；Ishallinthenextfollowingchaptersspeakofhisdiseasesandthecausesofhismortality，andofwhatlawsofnatureheisboundtoobey。
THOUGHnothingcanbeimmortalwhichmortalsmake；yet，ifmenhadtheuseofreasontheypretendto，theirCommonwealthsmightbesecured，atleast，fromperishingbyinternaldiseases。Forbythenatureoftheirinstitution，theyaredesignedtoliveaslongasmankind，orasthelawsofnature，orasjusticeitself，whichgivesthemlife。Thereforewhentheycometobedissolved，notbyexternalviolence，butintestinedisorder，thefaultisnotinmenastheyarethematter，butastheyarethemakersandorderersofthem。Formen，astheybecomeatlastwearyofirregularjostlingandhewingoneanother，anddesirewithalltheirheartstoconformthemselvesintoonefirmandlastingedifice；soforwantbothoftheartofmakingfitlawstosquaretheiractionsby，andalsoofhumilityandpatiencetosuffertherudeandcumbersomepointsoftheirpresentgreatnesstobetakenoff，theycannotwithoutthehelpofaveryablearchitectbecompiledintoanyotherthanacrazybuilding，suchas，hardlylastingouttheirowntime，mustassuredlyfallupontheheadsoftheirposterity。
AmongsttheinfirmitiesthereforeofaCommonwealth，Iwillreckoninthefirstplacethosethatarisefromanimperfectinstitution，andresemblethediseasesofanaturalbody，whichproceedfromadefectuousprocreation。
Ofwhichthisisone：thatamantoobtainakingdomissometimescontentwithlesspowerthantothepeaceanddefenceoftheCommonwealthisnecessarilyrequired。Fromwhenceitcomethtopassthatwhentheexerciseofthepowerlaidbyisforthepublicsafetytoberesumed，ithaththeresemblanceofanunjustact，whichdisposethgreatnumbersofmen，whenoccasionispresented，torebel；inthesamemannerasthebodiesofchildrengottenbydiseasedparentsaresubjecteithertountimelydeath，ortopurgetheillqualityderivedfromtheirviciousconception，bybreakingoutintobilesandscabs。Andwhenkingsdenythemselvessomesuchnecessarypower，itisnotalwaysthoughsometimesoutofignoranceofwhatisnecessarytotheofficetheyundertake，butmanytimesoutofahopetorecoverthesameagainattheirpleasure：whereintheyreasonnotwell；becausesuchaswillholdthemtotheirpromisesshallbemaintainedagainstthembyforeignCommonwealths；whoinordertothegoodoftheirownsubjectsletslipfewoccasionstoweakentheestateoftheirneighbours。SowasThomasBecket，ArchbishopofCanterbury，supportedagainstHenrytheSecondbythePope；thesubjectionofecclesiasticstotheCommonwealthhavingbeendispensedwithbyWilliamtheConquerorathisreception，whenhetookanoathnottoinfringethelibertyoftheChurch。Andsowerethebarons，whosepowerwasbyWilliamRufus，tohavetheirhelpintransferringthesuccessionfromhiselderbrothertohimself，increasedtoadegreeinconsistentwiththesovereignpower，maintainedintheirrebellionagainstKingJohnbytheFrench。
Nordoesthishappeninmonarchyonly。ForwhereasthestyleoftheancientRomanCommonwealthwas，“TheSenateandPeopleofRome“；
neithersenatenorpeoplepretendedtothewholepower；whichfirstcausedtheseditionsofTiberiusGracchus，CaiusGracchus，LuciusSaturninus，andothers；andafterwardsthewarsbetweenthesenateandthepeopleunderMariusandSylla；andagainunderPompeyandCaesartotheextinctionoftheirdemocracyandthesettingupofmonarchy。
ThepeopleofAthensboundthemselvesbutfromoneonlyaction，whichwasthatnomanonpainofdeathshouldpropoundtherenewingofthewarfortheislandofSalamis；andyetthereby，ifSolonhadnotcausedtobegivenouthewasmad，andafterwardsingestureandhabitofamadman，andinverse，propoundedittothepeoplethatflockedabouthim，theyhadhadanenemyperpetuallyinreadiness，evenatthegatesoftheircity：suchdamage，orshifts，areallCommonwealthsforcedtothathavetheirpowerneversolittlelimited。
Inthesecondplace，IobservethediseasesofaCommonwealththatproceedfromthepoisonofseditiousdoctrines，whereofoneisthateveryprivatemanisjudgeofgoodandevilactions。Thisistrueintheconditionofmerenature，wheretherearenocivillaws；andalsoundercivilgovernmentinsuchcasesasarenotdeterminedbythelaw。Butotherwise，itismanifestthatthemeasureofgoodandevilactionsisthecivillaw；andthejudgethelegislator，whoisalwaysrepresentativeoftheCommonwealth。Fromthisfalsedoctrine，menaredisposedtodebatewiththemselvesanddisputethecommandsoftheCommonwealth，andafterwardstoobeyordisobeythemasintheirprivatejudgmentstheyshallthinkfit；wherebytheCommonwealthisdistractedandweakened。
Anotherdoctrinerepugnanttocivilsocietyisthatwhatsoeveramandoesagainsthisconscienceissin；anditdependethonthepresumptionofmakinghimselfjudgeofgoodandevil。Foraman’sconscienceandhisjudgementisthesamething；andasthejudgement，soalsotheconsciencemaybeerroneous。Therefore，thoughhethatissubjecttonocivillawsinnethinallhedoesagainsthisconscience，becausehehasnootherruletofollowbuthisownreason，yetitisnotsowithhimthatlivesinaCommonwealth，becausethelawisthepublicconsciencebywhichhehathalreadyundertakentobeguided。Otherwiseinsuchdiversityasthereisofprivateconsciences，whicharebutprivateopinions，theCommonwealthmustneedsbedistracted，andnomandaretoobeythesovereignpowerfartherthanitshallseemgoodinhisowneyes。
Ithathbeenalsocommonlytaughtthatfaithandsanctityarenottobeattainedbystudyandreason，butbysupernaturalinspirationorinfusion。Whichgranted，Iseenotwhyanymanshouldrenderareasonofhisfaith；orwhyeveryChristianshouldnotbealsoaprophet；orwhyanymanshouldtakethelawofhiscountryratherthanhisowninspirationfortheruleofhisaction。Andthuswefallagainintothefaultoftakinguponustojudgeofgoodandevil；ortomakejudgesofitsuchprivatemenaspretendtobesupernaturallyinspired，tothedissolutionofallcivilgovernment。Faithcomesbyhearing，andhearingbythoseaccidentswhichguideusintothepresenceofthemthatspeaktous；whichaccidentsareallcontrivedbyGodAlmighty，andyetarenotsupernatural，butonly，forthegreatnumberofthemthatconcurtoeveryeffect，unobservable。Faithandsanctityareindeednotveryfrequent；butyettheyarenotmiracles，butbroughttopassbyeducation，discipline，correction，andothernaturalwaysbywhichGodworkeththeminHiselect，atsuchtimeasHethinkethfit。Andthesethreeopinions，pernicioustopeaceandgovernment，haveinthispartoftheworldproceededchieflyfromtonguesandpensofunlearneddivines；who，joiningthewordsofHolyScripturetogetherotherwiseisagreeabletoreason，dowhattheycantomakementhinkthatsanctityandnaturalreasoncannotstandtogether。
AfourthopinionrepugnanttothenatureofaCommonwealthisthis：thathethathaththesovereignpowerissubjecttothecivillaws。Itistruethatsovereignsareallsubjecttothelawsofnature，becausesuchlawsbedivineanddivineandcannotbyanymanorCommonwealthbeabrogated。Buttothoselawswhichthesovereignhimself，thatis，whichtheCommonwealth，maketh，heisnotsubject。
FortobesubjecttolawsistobetobesubjecttotheCommonwealth，thatis，tothesovereignrepresentative，thatis，tohimselfwhichisnotsubjection，butfreedomfromthelaws。Whicherror，becauseitsetteththelawsabovethesovereign，settethalsoajudgeabovehim，andapowertopunishhim；whichistomakeanewsovereign；andagainforthesamereasonathirdtopunishthesecond；
andsocontinuallywithoutend，totheconfusionanddissolutionoftheCommonwealth。
AfifthdoctrinethattendethtothedissolutionofaCommonwealthisthateveryprivatemanhasanabsoluteproprietyinhisgoods，suchasexcludeththerightofthesovereign。Everymanhasindeedaproprietythatexcludestherightofeveryothersubject：andhehasitonlyfromthesovereignpower，withouttheprotectionwhereofeveryothermanshouldhaverighttothesame。Buttherightofthesovereignalsobeexcluded，hecannotperformtheofficetheyhaveputhiminto，whichistodefendthembothfromforeignenemiesandfromtheinjuriesofoneanother；andconsequentlythereisnolongeraCommonwealth。
Andiftheproprietyofsubjectsexcludenottherightofthesovereignrepresentativetotheirgoods；muchless，totheirofficesofjudicatureorexecutioninwhichtheyrepresentthesovereignhimself。
Thereisasixthdoctrine，plainlyanddirectlyagainsttheessenceofaCommonwealth，anditisthis：thatthesovereignpowermaybedivided。ForwhatisittodividethepowerofaCommonwealth，buttodissolveit；forpowersdividedmutuallydestroyeachother。Andforthesedoctrinesmenarechieflybeholdingtosomeofthosethat，makingprofessionofthelaws，endeavourtomakethemdependupontheirownlearning，andnotuponthelegislativepower。
Andasfalsedoctrine，soalsooftentimestheexampleofdifferentgovernmentinaneighbouringnationdisposethmentoalterationoftheformalreadysettled。SothepeopleoftheJewswerestirreduptorejectGod，andtocallupontheprophetSamuelforakingafterthemannerofthenations：soalsothelessercitiesofGreecewerecontinuallydisturbedwithseditionsofthearistocraticalanddemocraticalfactions；onepartofalmosteveryCommonwealthdesiringtoimitatetheLacedaemonians；theother，theAthenians。