Irenicum, to the lovers of truth and peace heart-divisions opened in the causes and…

If you will have laws made against all things, that such as are in authority conceive to be evil, then you must give them power to judge, not only by the rules of common justice and equity, and punish for the breach of them, but by the apprehensions that their own raised parts shall suggest unto them, and to punish men for not being raised to that height of understanding themselves have; but this power is more then is fit to be given to any men upon earth. This would bring tyranny both in State and Church.

If you will have laws made against all things, that such as are in authority conceive to be evill, then you must give them power to judge, not only by the rules of common justice and equity, and punish for the breach of them, but by the apprehensions that their own raised parts shall suggest unto them, and to punish men for not being raised to that height of understanding themselves have; but this power is more then is fit to be given to any men upon earth. This would bring tyranny both in State and Church.

For first,¹ from whence is the rise of all Civill Power that any man, or society of men, are invested with? is it not from the generality of the men, over whom they have power? Is it not the power which they themselves had, and which they might have kept amongst themselves? For who can say, that a Democracy is a sinful Government in it self? True, God establishes it upon particular men by his Ordinance, after it is given to them by the people, but the first rise is from them; and if so, then they should make no law to bring those men under punishment, who gave them their power, but such a Law as these men may possibly come to understand, to be equal and just, for they act their power: and it must be supposed, that they never intended to give a power beyond this. Those who give power, may limit power; they may give part to one, part to another; they may limit the matter about wch ⟨p. 50⟩