THEofficeofthesovereign，beitamonarchoranassembly，consistethintheendforwhichhewastrustedwiththesovereignpower，namelytheprocurationofthesafetyofthepeople，towhichheisobligedbythelawofnature，andtorenderanaccountthereoftoGod，theAuthorofthatlaw，andtononebutHim。Butbysafetyhereisnotmeantabarepreservation，butalsoallothercontentmentsoflife，whicheverymanbylawfulindustry，withoutdangerorhurttotheCommonwealth，shallacquiretohimself。
Andthisisintendedshouldbedone，notbycareappliedtoindividuals，furtherthantheirprotectionfrominjurieswhentheyshallcomplain；butbyageneralprovidence，containedinpublicinstruction，bothofdoctrineandexample；andinthemakingandexecutingofgoodlawstowhichindividualpersonsmayapplytheirowncases。
Andbecause，iftheessentialrightsofsovereigntyspecifiedbeforeintheeighteenthChapterbetakenaway，theCommonwealthistherebydissolved，andeverymanreturnethintotheconditionandcalamityofawarwitheveryotherman，whichisthegreatestevilthatcanhappeninthislife；itistheofficeofthesovereigntomaintainthoserightsentire，andconsequentlyagainsthisduty，first，totransfertoanotherortolayfromhimselfanyofthem。
Forhethatdeserteththemeansdeserteththeends；andhedeserteththemeansthat，beingthesovereign，acknowledgethhimselfsubjecttothecivillaws，andrenounceththepowerofsupremejudicature；
orofmakingwarorpeacebyhisownauthority；orofjudgingofthenecessitiesoftheCommonwealth；oroflevyingmoneyandsoldierswhenandasmuchasinhisownconscienceheshalljudgenecessary；orofmakingofficersandministersbothofwarandpeace；orofappointingteachers，andexaminingwhatdoctrinesareconformableorcontrarytothedefence，peace，andgoodofthepeople。Secondly，itisagainsthisdutytoletthepeoplebeignorantormisinformedofthegroundsandreasonsofthosehisessentialrights，becausetherebymenareeasytobeseducedanddrawntoresisthimwhentheCommonwealthshallrequiretheiruseandexercise。
Andthegroundsoftheserightshavetheratherneeddrafterneedtobediligentlyandtrulytaught，becausetheycannotbemaintainedbyanycivillaworterroroflegalpunishment。Foracivillawthatshallforbidrebellionandsuchisallresistancetotheessentialrightsofsovereigntyisnot，asacivillaw，anyobligationbutbyvirtueonlyofthelawofnaturethatforbiddeththeviolationoffaith；whichnaturalobligation，ifmenknownot，theycannotknowtherightofanylawthesovereignmaketh。Andforthepunishment，theytakeitbutforanactofhostility；whichwhentheythinktheyhavestrengthenough，theywillendeavour，byactsofhostility，toavoid。
AsIhaveheardsomesaythatjusticeisbutaword，withoutsubstance；andthatwhatsoeveramancanbyforceorartacquiretohimself，notonlyintheconditionofwar，butalsoinaCommonwealth，ishisown，whichIhavealreadyshowntobefalse：sotherebealsothatmaintainthattherearenogrounds，norprinciplesofreason，tosustainthoseessentialrightswhichmakesovereigntyabsolute。Foriftherewere，theywouldhavebeenfoundoutinsomeplaceorother；whereasweseetherehasnothithertobeenanyCommonwealthwherethoserightshavebeenacknowledged，orchallenged。Whereintheyargueasill，asifthesavagepeopleofAmericashoulddenytherewereanygroundsorprinciplesofreasonsotobuildahouseastolastaslongasthematerials，becausetheyneveryetsawanysowellbuilt。Timeandindustryproduceeverydaynewknowledge。Andastheartofwellbuildingisderivedfromprinciplesofreason，observedbyindustriousmenthathadlongstudiedthenatureofmaterials，andthediverseeffectsoffigureandproportion，longaftermankindbegan，thoughpoorly，tobuild：so，longtimeaftermenhavebeguntoconstituteCommonwealths，imperfectandapttorelapseintodisorder，theremayprinciplesofreasonbefoundout，byindustriousmeditation，tomaketheirconstitution，exceptingbyexternalviolence，everlasting。AndsucharethosewhichIhaveinthisdiscoursesetforth：which，whethertheycomenotintothesightofthosethathavepowertomakeuseofthem，orbeneglectedbythemornot，concernethmyparticularinterest，atthisday，verylittle。Butsupposingthattheseofminearenotsuchprinciplesofreason；yetIamsuretheyareprinciplesfromauthorityofScripture，asIshallmakeitappearwhenIshallcometospeakofthekingdomofGod，administeredbyMoses，overtheJews，Hispeculiarpeoplebycovenant。
Buttheysayagainthatthoughtheprinciplesberight，yetcommonpeoplearenotofcapacityenoughtobemadetounderstandthem。I
shouldbegladthattherichandpotentsubjectsofakingdom，orthosethatareaccountedthemostlearned，werenolessincapablethanthey。Butallmenknowthattheobstructionstothiskindofdoctrineproceednotsomuchfromthedifficultyofthematter，asfromtheinterestofthemthataretolearn。Potentmendigesthardlyanythingthatsettethupapowertobridletheiraffections；
andlearnedmen，anythingthatdiscovereththeirerrors，andtherebytheirauthority：whereasthecommonpeople’sminds，unlesstheybetaintedwithdependenceonthepotent，orscribbledoverwiththeopinionsoftheirdoctors，arelikecleanpaper，fittoreceivewhatsoeverbypublicauthorityshallbeimprintedinthem。ShallwholenationsbebroughttoacquiesceinthegreatmysteriesofChristianreligion，whichareabovereason；andmillionsofmenbemadebelievethatthesamebodymaybeininnumerableplacesatoneandthesametime，whichisagainstreason；andshallnotmenbeable，bytheirteachingandpreaching，protectedbythelaw，tomakethatreceivedwhichissoconsonanttoreasonthatanyunprejudicatedmanneedsnomoretolearnitthantohearit？Iconcludethereforethatintheinstructionofthepeopleintheessentialrightswhicharethenaturalandfundamentallawsofsovereignty，thereisnodifficulty，whilstasovereignhashispowerentire，butwhatproceedsfromhisownfault，orthefaultofthosewhomhetrustethintheadministrationoftheCommonwealth；andconsequently，itishisdutytocausethemsotobeinstructed；andnotonlyhisduty，buthisbenefitalso，andsecurityagainstthedangerthatmayarrivetohimselfinhisnaturalpersonfromrebellion。
And，todescendtoparticulars，thepeoplearetobetaught，first，thattheyoughtnottobeinlovewithanyformofgovernmenttheyseeintheirneighbournations，morethanwiththeirown，nor，whatsoeverpresentprosperitytheybeholdinnationsthatareotherwisegovernedthanthey，todesirechange。Fortheprosperityofapeopleruledbyanaristocraticalordemocraticalassemblycomethnotfromaristocracy，norfromdemocracy，butfromtheobedienceandconcordofthesubjects：nordothepeopleflourishinamonarchybecauseonemanhastherighttorulethem，butbecausetheyobeyhim。
Takeawayinanykindofstatetheobedience，andconsequentlytheconcordofthepeople，andtheyshallnotonlynotflourish，butinshorttimebedissolved。AndtheythatgoaboutbydisobediencetodonomorethanreformtheCommonwealthshallfindtheydotherebydestroyit；likethefoolishdaughtersofPeleus，inthefable，whichdesiringtorenewtheyouthoftheirdecrepitfather，didbythecounselofMedeacuthiminpiecesandboilhim，togetherwithstrangeherbs，butmadenotofhimanewman。ThisdesireofchangeislikethebreachofthefirstofGod’sCommandments：forthereGodsays，NonhabebisDeosalienos：“ThoushaltnothavetheGodsofothernations“；
andinanotherplaceconcerningkings，thattheyaregods。
Secondly，theyaretobetaughtthattheyoughtnottobeledwithadmirationofthevirtueofanyoftheirfellowsubjects，howhighsoeverhestand，norhowconspicuouslysoeverheshineintheCommonwealth；norofanyassembly，exceptthesovereignassembly，soastodefertothemanyobedienceorhonourappropriatetothesovereignonly，whom，intheirparticularstations，theyrepresent；
nortoreceiveanyinfluencefromthem，butsuchasisconveyedbythemfromthesovereignauthority。Forthatsovereigncannotbeimaginedtolovehispeopleasheoughtthatisnotjealousofthem，butsuffersthembytheflatteryofpopularmentobeseducedfromtheirloyalty，astheyhaveoftenbeen，notonlysecretly，butopenly，soastoproclaimmarriagewiththeminfacieecclesiaebypreachers，andbypublishingthesameintheopenstreets：whichmayfitlybecomparedtotheviolationofthesecondoftheTenCommandments。
Thirdly，inconsequencetothis，theyoughttobeinformedhowgreatafaultitistospeakevilofthesovereignrepresentative，whetheronemanoranassemblyofmen；ortoargueanddisputehispower，oranywaytousehisnameirreverently，wherebyhemaybebroughtintocontemptwithhispeople，andtheirobedience，inwhichthesafetyoftheCommonwealthconsisteth，slackened。WhichdoctrinethethirdCommandmentbyresemblancepointethto。
Fourthly，seeingpeoplecannotbetaughtthis，nor，whenitistaught，rememberit，norafteronegenerationpastsomuchasknowinwhomthesovereignpowerisplaced，withoutsettingapartfromtheirordinarylaboursomecertaintimesinwhichtheymayattendthosethatareappointedtoinstructthem；itisnecessarythatsomesuchtimesbedeterminedwhereintheymayassembletogether，and，afterprayersandpraisesgiventoGod，theSovereignofsovereigns，hearthosetheirdutiestoldthem，andthepositivelaws，suchasgenerallyconcernthemall，readandexpounded，andbeputinmindoftheauthoritythatmakeththemlaws。TothisendhadtheJewseveryseventhdayaSabbath，inwhichthelawwasreadandexpounded；andinthesolemnitywhereoftheywereputinmindthattheirkingwasGod；
thathavingcreatedtheworldinsixdays，Herestedontheseventhday；andbytheirrestingonitfromtheirlabour，thatthatGodwastheirking，whichredeemedthemfromtheirservileandpainfullabourinEgypt，andgavethematime，aftertheyhadrejoicedinGod，totakejoyalsointhemselves，bylawfulrecreation。SothatthefirsttableoftheCommandmentsisspentallinsettingdownthesumofGod’sabsolutepower；notonlyasGod，butasKingbypact，inpeculiar，oftheJews；andmaythereforegivelighttothosethathavesovereignpowerconferredonthembytheconsentofmen，toseewhatdoctrinetheyoughttoteachtheirsubjects。
Andbecausethefirstinstructionofchildrendependethonthecareoftheirparents，itisnecessarythattheyshouldbeobedienttothemwhilsttheyareundertheirtuition；andnotonlyso，butthatalsoafterwards，asgratituderequireth，theyacknowledgethebenefitoftheireducationbyexternalsignsofhonour。Towhichendtheyaretobetaughtthatoriginallythefatherofeverymanwasalsohissovereignlord，withpoweroverhimoflifeanddeath；andthatthefathersoffamilies，whenbyinstitutingaCommonwealththeyresignedthatabsolutepower，yetitwasneverintendedtheyshouldlosethehonourdueuntothemfortheireducation。Fortorelinquishsuchrightwasnotnecessarytotheinstitutionofsovereignpower；
norwouldtherebeanyreasonwhyanymanshoulddesiretohavechildren，ortakethecaretonourishandinstructthem，iftheywereafterwardstohavenootherbenefitfromthemthanfromothermen。AndthisaccordethwiththefifthCommandment。
Again，everysovereignoughttocausejusticetobetaught，which，consistingintakingfromnomanwhatishis，isasmuchastosay，tocausementobetaughtnottodeprivetheirneighbours，byviolenceorfraud，ofanythingwhichbythesovereignauthorityistheirs。Ofthingsheldinpropriety，thosethataredearesttoamanarehisownlifeandlimbs；andinthenextdegree，inmostmen，thosethatconcernconjugalaffection；andafterthemrichesandmeansofliving。