in the very act of aſſociating together: namely, that the whole ſhould protect all it’s parts, and that every part ſhould pay obedience to the will of the whole; or, in other words, that the community ſhould guard the rights of each individual member, and that (in return for this protection) each individual ſhould ſubmit to the laws of the community; without which ſubmiſſion of all it was impoſſible that protection could be certainly extended to any.
For when ſociety is once formed, government reſults of courſe, as neceſſary to preſerve and to keep that ſociety in order. Unleſs ſome ſuperior were conſtituted, whoſe commands and deciſions all the members are bound to obey, they would ſtill remain as in a ſtate of nature, without any judge upon earth to define their ſeveral rights, and redreſs their ſeveral wrongs. But, as all the members of ſociety are naturally equal, it may be aſked, in whoſe hands are the reins of government to be entruſted? To this the general anſwer is eaſy; but the application of it to particular caſes has occaſioned one half of thoſe miſchiefs which are apt to proceed from miſguided political zeal. In general, all mankind will agree that government ſhould be repoſed in ſuch perſons, in whom thoſe qualities are moſt likely to be found, the perfection of which are among the attributes of him who is emphatically ſtiled the ſupreme being; the three grand requiſites, I mean, of wiſdom, of goodneſs, and of power: wiſdom, to diſcern the real intereſt of the community; goodneſs, to endeavour always to purſue that real intereſt; and ſtrength, or power, to carry this knowlege and intention into action. Theſe are the natural foundations of ſovereignty, and theſe are the requiſites that ought to be found in every well conſtituted frame of government.
How the ſeveral forms of government we now ſee in the world at firſt actually began, is matter of great uncertainty, and has occaſioned infinite diſputes. It is not my buſineſs or intention to enter into any of them. However they began, or by
