*46 1. By power, I here mean supreme power, the power over life and death and consequently over our liberty and property and all things of an inferior nature.
2. In many nations this power has in all ages been lodged in a single person. this has been the case in almost the whole eastern world. from the earliest antiquity; as in the celebrated empires of Assyria, of Babylon, of Media, Persia, and many others. and so it remains to this day, from Constantinople to the farthest India. the same form of government obtained very early in very many parts of Africa and remains in most of them still, as well as in the empires of Morocco and Abyssinia. the first adventurers to America found absolute monarchy established there also; the whole power being lodged in the Emperor of Mexico of the the Yucas of Peru. nay and many of the ancient nations of Europe were governed by single persons; as Spain, France, the Russias, and several other nations are at this day.
but in others, the power has been lodged in a few, chiefly the rich and noble. this kind of government, usually styled aristocracy, obtained in Greece and in Rome, after
*47 many struggles with the people, during the later ages of the republic. and this is the government which at present subsists in various parts of Europe. in Venice indeed, as well as in Genoa, the supreme power is nominally lodged in one, namely, the Doge; but in fact, he is only a royal shade; it is really lodged in a few of the nobles.
4. where the people have the supreme power, it is termed a democracy. this seems to have been the ancient form of government in several of the Grecian states. and so it was at Rome for some ages after the expulsion of the Kings. from the earliest authentic records, there is reason to believe it was for espousing the cause of the people and defending their rights against the illegal encroachments of the nobles, that Marcus Coriolanus was driven into banishment and Manlius Capitolinus, as well as Tiberius and Caius Gracchus, murdered. perhaps formerly the popular government subsisted in several states. but it is scarce now to be found, being everywhere swallowed up either in monarchy or aristocracy.
5. but the grand question is, not in whom this power is lodged, but from whom it is ultimately derived. what is the origin of power? what is its primary source? this has been long a subject of debate . and it has been debated with the utmost warmth, by a variety of disputants. but as earnest as they have been on each side of the question, they have seldom come to any good conclusion; but have left the point undecided still, to be a ball of contention to the next generation.
6. but is it impossible, in the nature of things, to throw any light on this obscure subject? set us make the experiment; let us (without pretending to dictate, but desiring every one to use his own judgment) try to find out some ground whereon to stand and go as far as we can toward answering the question. and let not any man be angry on the account, suppose we should not exactly agree. let every one enjoy his own opinion and give others the same liberty.
7. now, I cannot but acknowledge, I believe an old book, commonly called the Bible, to be true. therefore I believe, 'there is no power but from God: the powers that be are ordained of God''. Rom. 13.1 there is no subordinate power in any nation, but what is derived from the supreme power therein. so in England the King, in the United Provinces the States are the fountain of all power. and there
*48 is no supreme power, no power of the sword, of life and death, but what is derived from God, the Sovereign of all.
8. but have not the people, in every age and nation,the right of disposing of this power; of investing therewith whom they please, either one or more persons and that, in what proportion they see good and upon what conditions? consequently, if those conditions are not observed, have they not a right to take away the power they gave? and does not this imply, that they are the judges whether those conditions are observed or not? otherwise, if the receivers were judges of their own cause , this right would fall into nothing.
9. to prove this, that the people in every country are the source of power, it is argued thus: 'All men living upon earth are naturally equal; none is above another and all are naturally free, masters of their own actions. it manifestly follows, no man can have any power over another, unless by his won consent. the power therefore which the governors in any nation enjoy, must be originally derived from the people and presupposes an original compact between them and their first governors.
10. this seems to be the opinion which is now generally espoused by men of understanding and education and that (if I do not mistake) not in England alone, but almost in every civilized nation. and it is usually espoused with the fullest and strongest persuasion, as a truth little less than self-evident, as what is clear beyond all possibility of doubt, what commands the assent of all reasonable men. hence if any man affected to deny it, he would in most companies be rather hooted at than argued with; it being so absurd to oppose what is confirmed by the general suffrage of mankind.
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