nwealth, but the commonwealths which contract
taken together. But if they cannot agree together about the conditions,
they by that very fact return to a state of war.

The more commonwealths there are, that have contracted a joint treaty of
peace, the less each of them by itself is an object of fear to the
remainder, or the less it has the authority to make war. But it is so
much the more bound to observe the conditions of peace; that is, the
less independent, and the more bound to accommodate itself to the
general will of the contracting parties.

But the good faith, inculcated by sound reason and religion, is not
hereby made void; for neither reason nor Scripture teaches one to keep
one's word in every case. For if I have promised a man, for instance, to
keep safe a sum of money he has secretly deposited with me, I am not
bound to keep my word, from the time that I know or believe the deposit
to have been stolen, but I shall act more rightly in endeavoring to
restore it to its owners. So likewise, if the supreme authority has
promised another to do something, which subsequently occasion or reason
shows or seems to show is contrary to the welfare of its subjects, it is
surely bound to break its word. As then Scripture only teaches us to
keep our word in general, and leaves to every individual's judgment the
special cases of exception, it teaches nothing repugnant to what we have
just proved.

But that I may not have so often to break the thread of my discourse,
and to resolve hereafter similar objections, I would have it known that
all this demonstration of mine proceeds from the necessity of human
nature, considered in what light you will--I mean, from the universal
effort of all men after self-preservation, an effort inherent in all
men, whether learned or unlearned. And therefore, however one considers
men are led, whether by passion or by reason, it will be the same thing;
for the demonstration, as we have said, is of universal application.

II

_Of the Functions of Supreme Authorities_[38]

The right of the supreme authorities is limited by their power; the most
important part of that right is, that they are, as it were, the mind of
the dominion, whereby all ought to be guided; and accordingly, such
authorities alone have the right of deciding what is good, evil,
equitable or iniquitous, that is, what must be done or left undone by
the subjects severally or collectively. And, accordingly, they have the
so