Thereforethepeoplearetobetaughttoabstainfromviolencetooneanother’spersonbyprivaterevenges，fromviolationofconjugalhonour，andfromforciblerapineandfraudulentsurreptionofoneanother’sgoods。Forwhichpurposealsoitisnecessarytheybeshowntheevilconsequencesoffalsejudgment，bycorruptioneitherofjudgesorwitnesses，wherebythedistinctionofproprietyistakenaway，andjusticebecomesofnoeffect：allwhichthingsareintimatedinthesixth，seventh，eighth，andninthCommandments。
Lastly，theyaretobetaughtthatnotonlytheunjustfacts，butthedesignsandintentionstodothem，thoughbyaccidenthindered，areinjustice；whichconsistethinthepravityofthewill，aswellasintheirregularityoftheact。AndthisistheintentionofthetenthCommandment，andthesumofthesecondtable；whichisreducedalltothisonecommandmentofmutualcharity，“Thoushaltlovethyneighbourasthyself“；asthesumofthefirsttableisreducedto“theloveofGod“；whomtheyhadthennewlyreceivedastheirking。
Asforthemeansandconduitsbywhichthepeoplemayreceivethisinstruction，wearetosearchbywhatmeanssomanyopinionscontrarytothepeaceofmankind，uponweakandfalseprinciples，haveneverthelessbeensodeeplyrootedinthem。ImeanthosewhichI
haveintheprecedenttheprecedentchapterspecified：asthatmenshalljudgeofwhatislawfulandunlawful，notbythelawitself，butbytheirownconsciences；thatistosay，bytheirownprivatejudgements：thatsubjectssininobeyingthecommandsoftheCommonwealth，unlesstheythemselveshavefirstjudgedthemtobelawful：thattheirproprietyintheirrichesissuchastoexcludethedominionwhichtheCommonwealthhaththesame：thatitislawfulforsubjectstokillsuchastheycalltyrants：thatthesovereignpowermaybedivided，andthelike；whichcometobeinstilledintothepeoplebythismeans。Theywhomnecessityorcovetousnesskeepethattentontheirtradesandlabour；andthey，ontheotherside，whomsuperfluityorslothcarriethaftertheirsensualpleasureswhichtwosortsofmentakeupthegreatestpartofmankind，beingdivertedfromthedeepmeditationwhichtheoftruth，notonlyinthematterofnaturaljustice，butalsoofallothersciencesnecessarilyrequireth，receivethenotionsoftheirdutychieflyfromdivinesinthepulpit，andpartlyfromsuchoftheirneighboursorfamiliaracquaintanceashavingthefacultyofdiscoursingreadilyandplausiblyseemwiserandbetterlearnedincasesoflawandconsciencethanthemselves。Andthedivines，andsuchothersasmakeshowoflearning，derivetheirknowledgefromtheuniversities，andfromtheschoolsoflaw，orfromthebookswhichbymeneminentinthoseschoolsanduniversitieshavebeenpublished。Itisthereforemanifestthattheinstructionofthepeopledependethwhollyontherightteachingofyouthintheuniversities。Butarenot，maysomemansay，theuniversitiesofEnglandlearnedenoughalreadytodothat？Orisit，youwillundertaketoteachtheuniversities？Hardquestions。
Yettothefirst，Idoubtnottoanswer：thattilltowardsthelatterendofHenrytheEighth，thepowerofthePopewasalwaysupheldagainstthepoweroftheCommonwealth，principallybytheuniversities；andthatthedoctrinesbysomanypreachersagainstthesovereignpoweroftheking，andbysomanylawyersandothersthathadtheireducationthere，isasufficientargumentthat，thoughtheuniversitieswerenotauthorsofthosefalsedoctrines，yettheyknewnothowtoplantthetrue。Forinsuchacontradictionofopinions，itismostcertainthattheyhavenotbeensufficientlyinstructed；anditisnowonder，iftheyyetretainarelishofthatsubtleliquorwherewiththeywerefirstseasonedagainstthecivilauthority。Buttothelatterquestion，itisnotfitnorneedfulformetosayeitherayeorno：foranymanthatseeswhatIamdoingmayeasilyperceivewhatIthink。
Thesafetyofthepeoplerequirethfurther，fromhimorthemthathavethesovereignpower，thatjusticebeequallyadministeredtoalldegreesofpeople；thatis，thataswelltherichandmighty，aspoorandobscurepersons，mayberightedoftheinjuriesdonethem；soasthegreatmayhavenogreaterhopeofimpunity，whentheydoviolence，dishonour，oranyinjurytothemeanersort，thanwhenoneofthesedoestheliketooneofthem：forinthisconsistethequity；towhich，asbeingapreceptofthelawofnature，asovereignisasmuchsubjectasanyofthemeanestofhispeople。AllbreachesofthelawareoffencesagainsttheCommonwealth：buttherebesomethatarealsoagainstprivatepersons。ThosethatconcerntheCommonwealthonlymaywithoutbreachofequitybepardoned；foreverymanmaypardonwhatisdoneagainsthimself，accordingtohisowndiscretion。Butanoffenceagainstaprivatemancannotinequitybepardonedwithouttheconsentofhimthatisinjured；orreasonablesatisfaction。
Theinequalityofsubjectsproceedethfromtheactsofsovereignpower，andthereforehasnomoreplaceinthepresenceofthesovereign；thatistosay，inacourtofjustice，thantheinequalitybetweenkingsandtheirsubjectsinthepresenceoftheKingofkings。Thehonourofgreatpersonsistobevaluedfortheirbeneficence，andtheaidstheygivetomenofinferiorrank，ornotatall。Andtheviolences，oppressions，andinjuriestheydoarenotextenuated，butaggravated，bythegreatnessoftheirpersons，becausetheyhaveleastneedtocommitthem。Theconsequencesofthispartialitytowardsthegreatproceedinthismanner。Impunitymakethinsolence；insolence，hatred；andhatred，anendeavourtopulldownalloppressingandcontumeliousgreatness，thoughwiththeruinoftheCommonwealth。
Toequaljusticeappertainethalsotheequalimpositionoftaxes；
theequalitywhereofdependethnotontheequalityofriches，butontheequalityofthedebtthateverymanowethtotheCommonwealthforhisdefence。Itisnotenoughforamantolabourforthemaintenanceofhislife；butalsotofight，ifneedbe，forthesecuringofhislabour。TheymusteitherdoastheJewsdidaftertheirreturnfromcaptivity，inre-edifyingtheTemple，buildwithonehandandholdtheswordintheother，orelsetheymusthireotherstofightforthem。Fortheimpositionsthatarelaidonthepeoplebythesovereignpowerarenothingelsebutthewagesduetothemthatholdthepublicswordtodefendprivatemenintheexerciseofseveraltradesandcallings。Seeingthenthebenefitthateveryonereceiveththerebyistheenjoymentoflife，whichisequallydeartopoorandrich，thedebtwhichapoormanoweththemthatdefendhislifeisthesamewhicharichmanowethforthedefenceofhis；savingthattherich，whohavetheserviceofthepoor，maybedebtorsnotonlyfortheirownpersons，butformanymore。Whichconsidered，theequalityofimpositionconsistethratherintheequalityofthatwhichisconsumed，thanoftherichesofthepersonsthatconsumethesame。Forwhatreasonistherethathewhichlabourethmuchand，sparingthefruitsofhislabour，consumethlittleshouldbemorechargedthanhethat，livingidly，gettethlittleandspendethallhegets；seeingtheonehathnomoreprotectionfromtheCommonwealththantheother？Butwhentheimpositionsarelaiduponthosethingswhichmenconsume，everymanpayethequallyforwhatheuseth；noristheCommonwealthdefraudedbytheluxuriouswasteofprivatemen。
Andwhereasmanymen，byaccidentinevitable，becomeunabletomaintainthemselvesbytheirlabour，theyoughtnottobelefttothecharityofprivatepersons，buttobeprovidedfor，asfarforthasthenecessitiesofnaturerequire，bythelawsoftheCommonwealth。
Forasitisuncharitablenessinanymantoneglecttheimpotent；soitisinthesovereignofaCommonwealth，toexposethemtothehazardofsuchuncertaincharity。
Butforsuchashavestrongbodiesthecaseisotherwise；theyaretobeforcedtowork；andtoavoidtheexcuseofnotfindingemployment，thereoughttobesuchlawsasmayencourageallmannerofarts；asnavigation，agriculture，fishing，andallmannerofmanufacturethatrequireslabour。Themultitudeofpoorandyetstrongpeoplestillincreasing，theyaretobetransplantedintocountriesnotsufficientlyinhabited；whereneverthelesstheyarenottoexterminatethosetheyfindthere；butconstrainthemtoinhabitclosertogether，andnotrangeagreatdealofgroundtosnatchwhattheyfind，buttocourteachlittleplotwithartandlabour，togivethemtheirsustenanceindueseason。Andwhenalltheworldisoverchargedwithinhabitants，thenthelastremedyofalliswar，whichprovidethforeveryman，byvictoryordeath。
Tothecareofthesovereignbelongeththemakingofgoodlaws。
Butwhatisagoodlaw？Byagoodlaw，Imeannotajustlaw：fornolawcanbeunjust。Thelawismadebythesovereignpower，andallthatisdonebysuchpoweriswarrantedandownedbyeveryoneofthepeople；andthatwhicheverymanwillhaveso，nomancansayisunjust。ItisinthelawsofaCommonwealth，asinthelawsofgaming：
whatsoeverthegamestersallagreeonisinjusticetononeofthem。
Agoodlawisthatwhichisneedful，forthegoodofthepeople，andwithalperspicuous。
Fortheuseoflawswhicharebutrulesauthorizedisnottobindthepeoplefromallvoluntaryactions，buttodirectandkeeptheminsuchamotionasnottohurtthemselvesbytheirownimpetuousdesires，rashness，orindiscretion；ashedgesareset，nottostoptravellers，buttokeepthemintheway。Andthereforealawthatisnotneedful，havingnotthetrueendofalaw，isnotgood。Alawmaybeconceivedtobegoodwhenitisforthebenefitofthesovereign，thoughitbenotnecessaryforthepeople，butitisnotso。Forthegoodofthesovereignandpeoplecannotbeseparated。Itisaweaksovereignthathasweaksubjects；andaweakpeoplewhosesovereignwantethpowertorulethemathiswill。Unnecessarylawsarenotgoodlaws，buttrapsformoneywhich，wheretherightofsovereignpowerisacknowledged，aresuperfluous；andwhereitisnotacknowledged，insufficienttodefendthepeople。
Theperspicuityconsistethnotsomuchinthewordsofthelawitself，asinadeclarationofthecausesandmotivesforwhichitwasmade。Thatisitthatshowsusthemeaningofthelegislator；andthemeaningofthelegislatorknown，thelawismoreeasilyunderstoodbyfewthanmanywords。Forallwordsaresubjecttoambiguity；andthereforemultiplicationofwordsinthebodyofthelawismultiplicationofambiguity：besidesitseemstoimply，bytoomuchdiligence，thatwhosoevercanevadethewordsiswithoutthecompassofthelaw。Andthisisacauseofmanyunnecessaryprocesses。ForwhenIconsiderhowshortwerethelawsofancienttimes，andhowtheygrewbydegreesstilllonger，methinksIseeacontentionbetweenthepennersandpleadersofthelaw；theformerseekingtocircumscribethelatter，andthelattertoevadetheircircumscriptions；andthatthepleadershavegotthevictory。ItbelongeththereforetotheofficeofalegislatorsuchasisinallCommonwealthsthesupremerepresentative，beitonemanoranassemblytomakethereasonperspicuouswhythelawwasmade，andthebodyofthelawitselfasshort，butinasproperandsignificantterms，asmaybe。
Itbelongethalsototheofficeofthesovereigntomakearightapplicationofpunishmentsandrewards。Andseeingtheendofpunishingisnotrevengeanddischargeofcholer，butcorrectioneitheroftheoffenderorofothersbyhisexample，theseverestpunishmentsaretobeinflictedforthosecrimesthatareofmostdangertothepublic；suchasarethosewhichproceedfrommalicetothegovernmentestablished；thosethatspringfromcontemptofjustice；thosethatprovokeindignationinthemultitude；andthosewhich，unpunished，seemauthorized，aswhentheyarecommittedbysons，servants，orfavouritesofmeninauthority：forindignationcarriethmen，notonlyagainsttheactorsandauthorsofinjustice，butagainstallpowerthatislikelytoprotectthem；asinthecaseofTarquin，whenfortheinsolentactofoneofhissonshewasdrivenoutofRome，andthemonarchyitselfdissolved。Butcrimesofinfirmity；suchasarethosewhichproceedfromgreatprovocation，fromgreatfear，greatneed，orfromignorancewhetherthefactbeagreatcrimeornot，thereisplacemanytimesforlenity，withoutprejudicetotheCommonwealth；andlenity，whenthereissuchplaceforit，isrequiredbythelawofnature。Thepunishmentoftheleadersandteachersinacommotion；notthepoorseducedpeople，whentheyarepunished，canprofittheCommonwealthbytheirexample。Tobeseveretopeopleistopunishignorancewhichmayingreatpartbeimputedtothesovereign，whosefaultitwastheywerenobetterinstructed。