第37章

Thereisalsoanotherdistinctionoflawsintofundamentalandnotfundamental：butIcouldneverseeinanyauthorwhatafundamentallawsignifieth。Neverthelessonemayveryreasonablydistinguishlawsinthatmanner。

ForafundamentallawineveryCommonwealthisthatwhich，beingtakenaway，theCommonwealthfailethandisutterlydissolved，asabuildingwhosefoundationisdestroyed。Andthereforeafundamentallawisthatbywhichsubjectsareboundtoupholdwhatsoeverpowerisgiventothesovereign，whetheramonarchorasovereignassembly，withoutwhichtheCommonwealthcannotstand；suchasisthepowerofwarandpeace，ofjudicature，ofelectionofofficers，andofdoingwhatsoeverheshallthinknecessaryforthepublicgood。Notfundamentalisthat，theabrogatingwhereofdrawethnotwithitthedissolutionoftheCommonwealth；suchasarethelawsconcerningcontroversiesbetweensubjectandsubject。Thusmuchofthedivisionoflaws。

Ifindthewordslexcivilisandjuscivile，thatistosay，andlawandrightcivil，promiscuouslyusedforthesamething，eveninthemostlearnedauthors；whichneverthelessoughtnottobeso。Forrightisliberty，namelythatlibertywhichthecivillawleavesus：butcivillawisanobligation，andtakesfromusthelibertywhichthelawofnaturegaveus。Naturegavearighttoeverymantosecurehimselfbyhisownstrength，andtoinvadeasuspectedneighbourbywayofprevention：butthecivillawtakesawaythatliberty，inallcaseswheretheprotectionofthelawmaybesafelystayedfor。

Insomuchaslexandjusareasdifferentasobligationandliberty。

Likewiselawsandchartersaretakenpromiscuouslyforthesamething。Yetchartersaredonationsofthesovereign；andnotlaws，butexemptionsfromlaw。Thephraseofalawisjubeo，injungo；I

commandandenjoin：thephraseofacharterisdedi，concessi；I

havegiven，Ihavegranted：butwhatisgivenorgrantedtoamanisnotforceduponhimbyalaw。AlawmaybemadetobindallthesubjectsofaCommonwealth：alibertyorcharterisonlytoonemanorsomeonepartofthepeople。FortosayallthepeopleofaCommonwealthhavelibertyinanycasewhatsoeveristosaythat，insuchcase，therehathbeennolawmade；orelse，havingbeenmade，isnowabrogated。

Asinisnotonlyatransgressionofalaw，butalsoanycontemptofthelegislator。Forsuchcontemptisabreachofallhislawsatonce，andthereforemayconsist，notonlyinthecommissionofafact，orinthespeakingofwordsbythelawsforbidden，orintheomissionofwhatthelawcommandeth，butalsointheintentionorpurposetotransgress。Forthepurposetobreakthelawissomedegreeofcontemptofhimtowhomitbelongedtoseeitexecuted。Tobedelightedintheimaginationonlyofbeingpossessedofanotherman’sgoods，servants，orwife，withoutanyintentiontotakethemfromhimbyforceorfraud，isnobreachofthelaw，thatsaith，“Thoushaltnotcovet“：noristhepleasureamanmayhaveinimaginingordreamingofthedeathofhimfromwhoselifeheexpectethnothingbutdamageanddispleasure，asin；buttheresolvingtoputsomeactinexecutionthattendeththereto。Fortobepleasedinthefictionofthatwhichwouldpleaseamanifitwererealisapassionsoadherenttothenaturebothofmanandeveryotherlivingcreature，astomakeitasinweretomakesinofbeingaman。Thconsiderationofthishasmademethinkthemtoosevere，bothtothemselvesandothers，thatmaintainthatthefirstmotionsofthemind，thoughcheckedwiththefearofGod，besins。ButIconfessitissafertoerronthathandthanontheother。

Acrimeisasinconsistinginthecommittingbydeedorwordofthatwhichthelawforbiddeth，ortheomissionofwhatithathcommanded。Sothateverycrimeisasin；butnoteverysinacrime。Tointendtostealorkillisasin，thoughitneverappearinwordorfact：forGodthatseeththethoughtofmancanlayittohischarge：buttillitappearbysomethingdone，orsaid，bywhichtheintentionmaybearguedbyahumanjudge，ithathnotthenameofcrime：whichdistinctiontheGreeksobservedinthewordamartemaandegklemaoraiti