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that commonwealth as long as it hath a being。 Whoever therefore;
from thenceforth; by inheritance; purchases permission; or otherwise
enjoys any part of the land so annexed to; and under the government of
that commonweal; must take it with the condition it is under… that is;
of submitting to the government of the commonwealth; under whose
jurisdiction it is; as far forth as any subject of it。
121。 But since the government has a direct jurisdiction only over
the land and reaches the possessor of it (before he has actually
incorporated himself in the society) only as he dwells upon and enjoys
that; the obligation any one is under by virtue of such enjoyment to
submit to the government begins and ends with the enjoyment; so that
whenever the owner; who has given nothing but such a tacit consent
to the government will; by donation; sale or otherwise; quit the
said possession; he is at liberty to go and incorporate himself into
any other commonwealth; or agree with others to begin a new one in
vacuis locis; in any part of the world they can find free and
unpossessed; whereas he that has once; by actual agreement and any
express declaration; given his consent to be of any commonweal; is
perpetually and indispensably obliged to be; and remain unalterably
a subject to it; and can never be again in the liberty of the state of
Nature; unless by any calamity the government he was under comes to be
dissolved。
122。 But submitting to the laws of any country; living quietly and
enjoying privileges and protection under them; makes not a man a
member of that society; it is only a local protection and homage due
to and from all those who; not being in a state of war; come within
the territories belonging to any government; to all parts whereof
the force of its law extends。 But this no more makes a man a member of
that society; a perpetual subject of that commonwealth; than it
would make a man a subject to another in whose family he found it
convenient to abide for some time; though; whilst he continued in
it; he were obliged to comply with the laws and submit to the
government he found there。 And thus we see that foreigners; by
living all their lives under another government; and enjoying the
privileges and protection of it; though they are bound; even in
conscience; to submit to its administration as far forth as any
denizen; yet do not thereby come to be subjects or members of that
commonwealth。 Nothing can make any man so but his actually entering
into it by positive engagement and express promise and compact。 This
is that which; I think; concerning the beginning of political
societies; and that consent which makes any one a member of any
commonwealth。
Chapter IX
Of the Ends of Political Society and Government
123。 IF man in the state of Nature be so free as has been said; if
he be absolute lord of his own person and possessions; equal to the
greatest and subject to nobody; why will he part with his freedom;
this empire; and subject himself to the dominion and control of any
other power? To which it is obvious to answer; that though in the
state of Nature he hath such a right; yet the enjoyment of it is
very uncertain and constantly exposed to the invasion of others; for
all being kings as much as he; every man his equal; and the greater
part no strict observers of equity and justice; the enjoyment of the
property he has in this state is very unsafe; very insecure。 This
makes him willing to quit this condition which; however free; is
full of fears and continual dangers; and it is not without reason that
he seeks out and is willing to join in society with others who are
already united; or have a mind to unite for the mutual preservation of
their lives; liberties and estates; which I call by the general
name… property。
124。 The great and chief end; therefore; of men uniting into
commonwealths; and putting themselves under government; is the
preservation of their property; to which in the state of Nature
there are many things wanting。
Firstly; there wants an established; settled; known law; received
and allowed by common consent to be the standard of right and wrong;
and the common measure to decide all controversies between them。 For
though the law of Nature be plain and intelligible to all rational
creatures; yet men; being biased by their interest; as well as
ignorant for want of study of it; are not apt to allow of it as a
law binding to them in the application of it to their particular
cases。
125。 Secondly; in the state of Nature there wants a known and
indifferent judge; with authority to determine all differences
according to the established law。 For every one in that state being
both judge and executioner of the law of Nature; men being partial
to themselves; passion and revenge is very apt to carry them too
far; and with too much heat in their own cases; as well as
negligence and unconcernedness; make them too remiss in other men's。
126。 Thirdly; in the state of Nature there often wants power to back
and support the sentence when right; and to give it due execution。
They who by any injustice offended will seldom fail where they are
able by force to make good their injustice。 Such resistance many times
makes the punishment dangerous; and frequently destructive to those
who attempt it。
127。 Thus mankind; notwithstanding all the privileges of the state
of Nature; being but in an ill condition while they remain in it are
quickly driven into society。 Hence it comes to pass; that we seldom
find any number of men live any time together in this state。 The
inconveniencies that they are therein exposed to by the irregular
and uncertain exercise of the power every man has of punishing the
transgressions of others; make them take sanctuary under the
established laws of government; and therein seek the preservation of
their property。 It is this that makes them so willingly give up
every one his single power of punishing to be exercised by such
alone as shall be appointed to it amongst them; and by such rules as
the community; or those authorised by them to that purpose; shall
agree on。 And in this we have the original right and rise of both
the legislative and executive power as well as of the governments
and societies themselves。
128。 For in the state of Nature to omit the liberty he has of
innocent delights; a man has two powers。 The first is to do whatsoever
he thinks fit for the preservation of himself and others within the
permission of the law of Nature; by which law; common to them all;
he and all the rest of mankind are one community; make up one
society distinct from all other creatures; and were it not for the
corruption and viciousness of degenerate men; there would be no need
of any other; no necessity that men should separate from this great
and natural community; and associate into lesser combinations。 The
other power a man has in the state of Nature is the power to punish
the crimes committed against that law。 Both these he gives up when
he joins in a private