mong his best Readers: and he would take pleasure in feeing fuch Light further improved by Minds better furnish'd, till it Spread it felf into a fair and glorious Day. Such a clear and harmonious View of thefe Subjects would do much toward the Security and Eafe of Civil Government in any particular Occurrences, as well as toward the general Advantage of true Religion and the Support of just Liberty, which are three of the most valuable Privileges of Mankind and the choiceft Bleffings on this fide Hea

ven.

ERRAT A.

Page 4. 1. 22. read under fome of. p. 7. 1. Government in general. p. 30. 1. 2. Rights 2.43.1.7. meer natural. p. 95. 1. 24. contrive and

Civil Power in Things Sacred:

Bason 4 st ORY! yd Del nosd

An Enquiry after an ESTABLISHD RELIGION, confiftent with the Juft Liberties of Mankind, &c.

SECT. I.

Of the Nature and Ends of Civil Government, with the feveral Kinds of it, and its Extent to Religion.

'T

HE Design of Civil Government is to fecure the Perfons, and Properties, and Peace of Mankind from the Invafions

and the Injuries of their Neighbours: whereas if there were no fuch thing as Government amongst

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amongst Men, the Stronger would often make inroads upon the Peace and Poffeffions, the Liberties and the Lives of those that were weaker; and univerfal Confufion and Disorder, Mischiefs, Murthers, and ten thousand Miseries would overfpread the face of the Earth.

II. In order to this general Good, viz. the Prefervation of the Perfons of Men with their Peace and Poffeffions, Mankind have been led by the Principles of Reason and Self-prefervation to join themselves in distinct civil Societies; wherein as by a Compact, exprefs'd or imply'd, every single Person is concern'd in the Welfare and Safety of all the reft, and all ingage their Affiftance to defend any of the reft when their Peace or Poffeffions are invaded: fo that by this means every fingle Member of the Society has the Wisdom and Strength of the whole ingaged for his Security and Defence.

III. To attain this End most happily, different Societies have chofen different Forms of Government, as they thought most conducive to obtain it.

(1.) Some have deem'd it proper to be govern'd by a fingle Perfon, and have ventur'd to put the Authority and Power of making

and

and executing Laws for guarding their Perfons and Properties, and for avenging their Injuries, into the hands of a fingle Perfon; and have obliged themselves to affist and support him in the due Exercise of this Authority. This is called Kingly Government or Monarchy: and where this Kingly Power has no Limitations, 'tis called Abfolute Monarchy or Sovereignty.

(2.) Others have committed this fame Power to the hands of a few Great Men or Nobles, Perfons of Riches, or high Birth, or Power, or who are supposed to have fuperior Wisdom and Influence, who shall act in concert with one another to promote this End. This is called Ariftocracy; especially when 'tis agreed that these great Men shall have their Heirs for their Succeffors, or fhall have a Right to chuse their own Succeffors themselves; for then the People have divested themselves of all share in the Government.

(3.) A third fort have chosen a Popular Government, that is, where the People themfelves meet and make Laws, and determine things of Importance by a common Vote or the Sentence of the major Part. But where the Society is fo numerous, that the People cannot all meet together for this end, they

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have

have parcell'd out themselves into

many Diftricts, and chosen particular Perfons to represent them in each District. Thus the People are faid to act and govern themselves by these their Reprefentatives, which are chofen anew by the People as often as they think fit, or at annual or any stated Seasons which the People agree upon. This is called Democracy; and fuch a State is a proper Republick or Commonwealth in the ftricteft Senfe. (4.) There are other Societies again, which have made a Compound Government out of feveral of thefe; fo the ancient Roman Government had the Patres, or Patricii, or Senators as their Nobility, and yet the Plebeians or common People had much share in the Government too by their power in chufing Officers, &c. The two Confuls were generally one Patrician and one Plebeian. Sometimes there is made a Mixture of all thefe Forms of Government: Such was the Roman under their Emperors, if not under their Kings.

But the most regular Mixture feems to be that wherein the chofen Representatives of the People have their diftinct share of Government, the Nobles or Great Men have their fhare, and a fingle Perfon or the King

has