whatever reasons, to seize the sovereign
power_, and I recognize no difference whether such an attempt should be
followed by public loss or public gain. Whatever be his reason for
acting, the crime is treason, and he is rightly condemned. In war, every
one would admit the justice of his sentence. If a man does not keep to
his post, but approaches the enemy without the knowledge of his
commander, whatever may be his motive, so long as he acts on his own
motion, even if he advances with the design of defeating the enemy, he
is rightly put to death, because he has violated his oath, and infringed
the rights of his commander. That all citizens are equally bound by
these rights in time of peace, is not so generally recognized, but the
reasons for obedience are in both cases identical. The state must be
preserved and directed by the sole authority of the sovereign, and such
authority and right have been accorded by universal consent to him
alone. If, therefore, any one else attempts, without his consent, to
execute any public enterprise, even though the state might (as we said)
reap benefit therefrom, such person has none the less infringed the
sovereign's right, and would be rightly punished for treason.

In order that every scruple may be removed, we may now answer the
inquiry, whether our former assertion that every one who has not the
practice of reason, may, in the state of Nature, live by sovereign
natural right, according to the laws of his desires, is not in direct
opposition to the law and right of God as revealed. For as all men
absolutely (whether they be less endowed with reason or more) are
equally bound by the Divine command to love their neighbor as
themselves, it may be said that they cannot, without wrong, do injury to
any one, or live according to their desires.

This objection, so far as the state of Nature is concerned, can be
easily answered, for the state of Nature is, both in nature and in time,
prior to religion. No one knows by nature that he owes any obedience to
God,[35] nor can he attain thereto by any exercise of his reason, but
solely by revelation confirmed by signs. Therefore, previous to
revelation, no one is bound by a Divine law and right of which he is
necessarily in ignorance. The state of Nature must by no means be
confounded with a state of religion, but must be conceived as without
either religion or law, and consequently without sin or wrong. This is
how we have described it, and we a